Rawlins Lowndes

Rawlins Lowndes (born January 1721 on St. Kitts , † August 24, 1800 in Charleston , South Carolina ) was an American politician . He was president and then governor of South Carolina from March 1778 to January 1779 .

Early years and political advancement

The exact birthday of Rawlins Lowndes is unknown. However, the sources agree that he was born in January 1721 on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. He studied law in Charleston. From 1742 to 1752 he was in the British colony of South Carolina as Provost Marshall in the police service. In 1749 he was elected to the Colonial Parliament of South Carolina. Lowndes in South Carolina played an important role in the conflict over American independence that began in the 1770s. He was a member of the first independent bodies in South Carolina and in 1776 was a member of the commission that drafted the state's new constitution. Lowndes spoke out against military action against England.

Governor of south carolina

After John Rutledge resigned from the office of President of South Carolina on March 7, 1778, Lowndes was elected by the members of Parliament to succeed him. By this time the state had long been at war with the British, who were trying to occupy large parts of South Carolina militarily. The constitution was modified during his tenure. Among other things, the title of President of South Carolina was dropped. As in the other states of the newly formed USA, the head of government received the title of governor. Other constitutional changes included the state's Senate , which was henceforth elected by the people, the disempowerment of the Church of England in South Carolina and the limitation of the governor's right of veto. In 1779, Lowndes fell into the hands of the British, after which his predecessor John Rutledge was elected as the new governor.

Another résumé

After his release from British captivity, he became a member of the House of Representatives from South Carolina . In the debate on ratifying the US Constitution , he voted no because he rejected it because of its clauses relating to the slave trade. He saw slavery as the economic basis of the south and forbade any restriction of it. At that time, the constitution did not forbid slavery, but merely restricted the slave trade. In addition, he saw the freedom of the new states and the freedom of trade threatened by a higher federal government. In many ways, he anticipated the political positions of the 19th century, when South Carolina repeatedly demanded independence and the rights of individual states. Despite his opposition, the constitution was also ratified by South Carolina at that time. Lowndes remained in his state's parliament until 1790. He died in August 1800. His two sons, Thomas and William, later represented the state of South Carolina in Congress .

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personal data
SURNAME	Lowndes, Rawlins
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	January 1721
PLACE OF BIRTH	St. Kitts
DATE OF DEATH	August 24, 1800
Place of death	Charleston , South Carolina