Unit Title:
Constitution of 1778
Accumulation:
1778
Created:
1778
Creator:
South Carolina. General Assembly.
Physical Description:
2.00 folders
Language:
English
Biography or History:
The Constitution of 1776 was intended as a temporary document to provide a framework for the government of South Carolina until a more permanent structure could be created. After its implementation, a committee was created to draw up a new constitution based on it.
Custodial History:
unspecified
Acquisition Information:
unspecified
Scope and Content:
South Carolina's new constitution expanded on the foundation laid by its predecessor. It introduced stricter requirements for the presentation and passage of bills to prevent situations like the Stamp Act from occurring again. To counteract possible abuse of office by public officials, requirements for attaining and leaving office were carefully delineated. However, the new constitution greatly reduced suffrage, limiting the vote to white Protestant men who owned fifty or more acres of taxable land. This series consists of the engrossed manuscript of Act No. 1074 (the Constitution of 1778), as well as a rough draft and a photocopy from the Library of Congress of the contemporary printing of the act.
Appraisal Information:
unspecified
Accruals:
no
Arrangement:
none
Conditions Governing Access:
none
Conditions Governing Use:
none
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements:
none
Other Finding Aid:
none
Location of Originals:
South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223
Alternative Form Available:
Also available as Robert L. Meriwether, editor, Basic Documents of South Carolina History: The Constitution of 1778, published by the Historical Commission of South Carolina in 1953. The engrossed manuscript in this series has been digitzed and is available through the South Carolina Electronic Records Archive (SCERA), which is maintained by the Archives.
Related Material:
none
Bibliography:
none
Other Descriptive Data:
none
Processing Information:
None
