Rawlins Lowndes

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

Early years and political rise

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. In the beginning of the conflict in the 1770s to American independence Lowndes played a significant role in South Carolina. He was a member of the first independent bodies in South Carolina and belonged in 1776 to the Commission, which drafted the new constitution of the state. Lowndes but spoke out against military action against England.

Governor of South Carolina

Following the resignation of John Rutledge by the Office of the President of South Carolina on March 7, 1778 Lowndes was elected by the Members of Parliament to his successor. At this time, the state was already at war with the British, did labor, large parts of South Carolina to occupy militarily. During his tenure, the Constitution was modified. Among other things, accounted for the title of President of South Carolina. As in the other states of the newly formed United States, the Prime Minister received the title of governor. More constitutional amendments related to the State Senate, which was henceforth elected by the people, the disempowerment of the Church of England in South Carolina and the restriction of the veto of the Governor. In 1779 Lowndes fell into the hands of the British, after which his predecessor John Rutledge was elected as the new governor.

Further CV

After his release from British captivity he became a deputy in the House of Representatives from South Carolina. In the debate on the ratification of the U.S. Constitution he voted in the negative, as he rejected this because of its clauses on the slave trade. He saw in slavery the economic base of the South and forbade any limitation thereof. The Constitution had not then prohibited slavery, but only limited trade in slaves. In addition, he saw threatened by a superior government the freedom of the new states and the freedom of trade. In many ways he already took time political positions of the 19th century in advance, were collected as repeatedly South Carolina demands for independence and the rights of individual states. Despite his opposition at that time the Constitution was ratified by South Carolina. Until 1790 Lowndes remained in parliament of his country. He died in August 1800th His two sons Thomas and William later represented the state of South Carolina in Congress.