William Moultrie

William Moultrie

William Moultrie (born November 23, 1730 in Charleston , Province of South Carolina , † September 27, 1805 ibid) was an American politician and governor of South Carolina.

Early years

The place of birth of William Moultrie is given differently in the sources. While the National Governor Association gives England as his country of birth, the homepage of the "South Carolina Information Highway" names Charleston as his place of birth. He fought in a war against the Cherokee Indians in 1761 and was then a member of the colonial parliament of South Carolina.

Advancement during the American Revolutionary War

When the war between the 13 former British colonies and England broke out, he joined the American Continental Army. There he rose to brigadier general. His promotion to this rank was the last to be approved by the Continental Congress in late 1782 . He did great service in the defense of Sullivan's Island . He was also in command in Charleston when the city surrendered to the British. He was captured and released on his word of honor. Since 1775 he was a member of the provincial congress of South Carolina. In 1783 he was elected to the House of Representatives of that state . In 1784 he was lieutenant governor .

Governor of south carolina

William Moultrie served two non-contiguous terms as governor of South Carolina for the Federalists . Its first legislative term began on February 11, 1785 and ended on February 20, 1787. That was the period between the end of the War of Independence and the adoption of the US Constitution . During this time, South Carolina was reorganized. The country was divided into districts (counties). Each district also received a district court, among other things. In addition, in 1786 the capital of the country was moved from Charleston to Columbia . At the end of his first term, Moultrie served briefly in his country's Senate . His second term as governor began on December 5, 1792 and ended on December 1, 1794. In the meantime, the US Constitution had been ratified and South Carolina, like the other twelve founding states, had officially become a state of the United States. In his second term, an orphanage was opened in Charleston. The cotton export got better and better. This in turn gave a further boost to slavery in the country, because the corresponding plantations were operated with the help of slaves. The invention of the cotton gin in 1794 by Eli Whitney made this possible. Then there was an affair when the French ambassador to the US hired people in South Carolina to recapture Louisiana for France. The governor showed some sympathy for this, but the House of Representatives strictly rejected the French activities, which were then discontinued.

Retirement

At the end of his second term, Moultrie was no longer allowed to run due to a restriction imposed by the constitution. He withdrew from politics and died in 1805.

Honors

The city of Moultrie (Georgia) , Lake Moultrie in Berkeley County (South Carolina) and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island were named after William Moultrie .

Works

• Memoirs of the American Revolution, 1802 (2 volumes)

Web links

• William Moultrie in the National Governor Association (English)
• South Carolina Information Highway (English)

• William Moultrie in the database of Find a Grave (English)