Republic of South Carolina
Encyclopedia
The Republic of South Carolina was declared when the State
of South Carolina
declared its secession from the United States on December 20, 1860. On February 8, 1861, South Carolina joined other Southern states to form the Confederate States of America
. South Carolina after secession was frequently called the Palmetto
Republic.
By a unanimous vote of 169-0 in a special State convention held in Columbia, South Carolina chose to secede from the Federal Union. It adopted the palmetto flag
as its national banner.
After South Carolina declared its secession, former congressman James L. Petigru
famously remarked, "South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum." Soon afterwards, South Carolina began preparing for a presumed Federal military response while working to convince other Southern states to secede as well and join in a Confederacy of Southern republics.
been a region that heavily supported individual states' rights
. Political leaders such as John C. Calhoun
and Preston Brooks
had inflamed regional (and national) passions, and for years before the eventual start of the Civil War in 1861, voices cried for secession
. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union
, and saw the first shots of the Civil War when Citadel cadets fired on a civilian merchant ship Star of the West
bringing supplies to the beleaguered Federal garrison at Fort Sumter
on January 9, 1861.
Very few South Carolina whites saw emancipation
as an option. Whites feared that if blacks– the vast majority in most parts of the state– were freed, they would try to "Africanize" their cherished society
and culture
as they had seen happen after slave revolutions in some areas of the West Indies. Many white Southerners also believed that slavery, as practiced in the South, was "the mildest and most humane of all institutions to which the name of 'slavery' has ever been applied," and that this "benign institution" had transformed "unprofitable savages" into "efficient Christian laborers." Carolinian leaders were divided between devoted Unionists
that opposed any sort of secession
, and those who believed secession was a state's right. John C. Calhoun
noted that the dry and barren West could not support a plantation system and would remain slaveless. Thus, Calhoun proposed that Congress should not exclude slavery from territories but let each state
choose for itself whether it would allow slaves within its borders. After Calhoun's death in 1850, however, South Carolina was left without a leader great enough in national standing and character to prevent more militant Carolinian factions' desire to secede immediately. Andrew Pickens Butler
argued against Charleston publisher Robert Barnwell Rhett
, who advocated immediate secession and, if necessary, independence. Butler won the battle, but Rhett outlived him.
would be elected, a number of conventions organized around the Deep South
to discuss the options. States with strong pro-secession movements such as Alabama
and Mississippi
sent delegates to the convention where they advised the Carolinians to "take the lead and secede at once". On December 20, 1860, South Carolinians in Charleston
voted to secede from the Union. President James Buchanan
declared the secession illegal but did not act to stop it.
Six days later, on the day after Christmas, Major Robert Anderson, commander of the U.S. troops in Charleston, withdrew his men against orders into the island fortress of Fort Sumter
in Charleston Harbor. South Carolina militia swarmed over the abandoned mainland batteries and trained their guns on the island. Sumter was the key position to preventing a naval invasion of Charleston, so Carolina could not afford to allow federal forces to remain there indefinitely. More important, having the Union control its largest harbor meant that the Confederacy was not really independent.
On February 4, a congress of Southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama
, and approved a new constitution for the Confederate States of America
. Lincoln argued that the United States were "one nation, indivisible" and denied the Southern states' right to secede. Upper Southern states such as Virginia
and North Carolina
, which had not yet seceded, called a peace conference, to little effect. South Carolina entered the Confederacy on February 8, 1861 ending less than six weeks of being an independent State of South Carolina.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
declared its secession from the United States on December 20, 1860. On February 8, 1861, South Carolina joined other Southern states to form the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. South Carolina after secession was frequently called the Palmetto
Palmetto
-Botany:Members of several genera of small palms:*the genus Sabal of the Arecaceae family**Dwarf Palmetto**Sabal palmetto*Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens*Silver saw palmetto, Acoelorraphe wrightii-Place names:United States...
Republic.
By a unanimous vote of 169-0 in a special State convention held in Columbia, South Carolina chose to secede from the Federal Union. It adopted the palmetto flag
Flag of South Carolina
The flag of the state of South Carolina dates back to 1765 when opponents of the Stamp Act marched in protest behind a blue flag bearing three white crescents. In 1775 Colonel William Moultrie was asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety to design a flag for the South Carolina troops to use...
as its national banner.
After South Carolina declared its secession, former congressman James L. Petigru
James L. Petigru
James Louis Petigru was a lawyer, politician, and jurist in South Carolina. He is best known for his service as the state's Attorney General, his juridical work that played a key role in the recodification of the state's law code, and his opposition to nullification and, in 1860, state...
famously remarked, "South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum." Soon afterwards, South Carolina began preparing for a presumed Federal military response while working to convince other Southern states to secede as well and join in a Confederacy of Southern republics.
Background
South Carolina had long before the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
been a region that heavily supported individual states' rights
States' rights
States' rights in U.S. politics refers to political powers reserved for the U.S. state governments rather than the federal government. It is often considered a loaded term because of its use in opposition to federally mandated racial desegregation...
. Political leaders such as John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
and Preston Brooks
Preston Brooks
Preston Smith Brooks was a Democratic Congressman from South Carolina. Brooks is primarily remembered for his severe beating of Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate with a gutta-percha cane, delivered in response to an anti-slavery speech in which Sumner compared Brooks'...
had inflamed regional (and national) passions, and for years before the eventual start of the Civil War in 1861, voices cried for secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
, and saw the first shots of the Civil War when Citadel cadets fired on a civilian merchant ship Star of the West
Star of the West
The Star of the West was a civilian steamship hired by the United States government to transport military supplies and reinforcements to the garrison of Fort Sumter, but was fired on by Confederates in its effort to do so at the dawning of the American Civil War...
bringing supplies to the beleaguered Federal garrison at Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
on January 9, 1861.
Very few South Carolina whites saw emancipation
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
as an option. Whites feared that if blacks– the vast majority in most parts of the state– were freed, they would try to "Africanize" their cherished society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
as they had seen happen after slave revolutions in some areas of the West Indies. Many white Southerners also believed that slavery, as practiced in the South, was "the mildest and most humane of all institutions to which the name of 'slavery' has ever been applied," and that this "benign institution" had transformed "unprofitable savages" into "efficient Christian laborers." Carolinian leaders were divided between devoted Unionists
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
that opposed any sort of secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
, and those who believed secession was a state's right. John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
noted that the dry and barren West could not support a plantation system and would remain slaveless. Thus, Calhoun proposed that Congress should not exclude slavery from territories but let each state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
choose for itself whether it would allow slaves within its borders. After Calhoun's death in 1850, however, South Carolina was left without a leader great enough in national standing and character to prevent more militant Carolinian factions' desire to secede immediately. Andrew Pickens Butler
Andrew Butler
Andrew Pickens Butler was an United States Senator and one of the authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.-Biography:...
argued against Charleston publisher Robert Barnwell Rhett
Robert Rhett
Robert Barnwell Rhett, Sr. , was a United States secessionist politician from South Carolina.-Biography:...
, who advocated immediate secession and, if necessary, independence. Butler won the battle, but Rhett outlived him.
Secession
When it was seen that President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
would be elected, a number of conventions organized around the Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
to discuss the options. States with strong pro-secession movements such as Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
sent delegates to the convention where they advised the Carolinians to "take the lead and secede at once". On December 20, 1860, South Carolinians in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
voted to secede from the Union. President James Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
declared the secession illegal but did not act to stop it.
Six days later, on the day after Christmas, Major Robert Anderson, commander of the U.S. troops in Charleston, withdrew his men against orders into the island fortress of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in Charleston Harbor. South Carolina militia swarmed over the abandoned mainland batteries and trained their guns on the island. Sumter was the key position to preventing a naval invasion of Charleston, so Carolina could not afford to allow federal forces to remain there indefinitely. More important, having the Union control its largest harbor meant that the Confederacy was not really independent.
On February 4, a congress of Southern states met in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, and approved a new constitution for the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. Lincoln argued that the United States were "one nation, indivisible" and denied the Southern states' right to secede. Upper Southern states such as Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, which had not yet seceded, called a peace conference, to little effect. South Carolina entered the Confederacy on February 8, 1861 ending less than six weeks of being an independent State of South Carolina.
See also
- History of South CarolinaHistory of South CarolinaSouth Carolina is one of the 13 original colonies of the United States. European exploration began in 1540, but the explorers brought European diseases that decimated the local Indian population. It was founded in 1663...
- Origins of the American Civil WarOrigins of the American Civil WarThe main explanation for the origins of the American Civil War is slavery, especially Southern anger at the attempts by Northern antislavery political forces to block the expansion of slavery into the western territories...