On May 23, 1988, on Broad Street in Charleston, South Carolina, the South Carolina General Assembly processed from St. Michael’s Church to the Exchange Building to mark the bicentennial of South Carolina's ratification of the Constitution. It was in Charleston, at the Exchange Building, that South Carolina ratified its approval of a new document, one which saw substantial thought and contributions by its native sons. Lieutenant Governor Nick Theodore presided over the joint assembly gathered in the hall of the Exchange Building and after welcoming remarks, introduced Joseph P. Riley.
At the podium, Mayor Riley welcomed the assemblage and spoke of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney who was one of the draftsmen of the Constitution, how he spent the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia with Benjamin Franklin, who was very interested in science. The mayor mused about the pair considering in the future, the building of an aquarium in Charleston. The assembly erupted in laughter at the insertion of one of Mayor Riley's dream aquarium for Charleston!
Mayor Riley spoke about the history of the Great Hall within the Exchange Building and about how the feelings about the new Constitution varied across the state. In addition to celebrating the ratification of the Constitution, Riley noted that we were also celebrating the fact that South Carolina had been on the forefront of winning the revolution, forming a government and creating a new nation. When the vote for ratification was completed, 149 voted to ratify while 73 did not. In the end, the minority were soothed by the majority, and acquiesced, throwing their support behind the new Constitution.
After Robert J. Sheheen, Speaker, South Carolina House of Representatives addressed the assembly, historian, Dr. Christopher Collier, University of Connecticut, gave the keynote remarks. Professor Collier observed that export trade was important to both South Carolina and Connecticut, and at the forefront were champions John Rutledge and Roger Sherman. Rutledge brought in the North Carolina and Georgia delegations while Sherman brought in the New England delegations. Middle colonies fell by the wayside. The dogmatic doctrinaire was on one side, and the New England / South Carolina coalition was on the other. Sherman and Rutledge knew that you had to write a constitution that the people would accept and pragmatism won.
Nick Theodore gave closing remarks before adjourning the assembly. The mace and sword were carried out with ceremony, and with the rest of the participants following. We hope you will enjoy this engaging and informative ETV Classic.
Side Notes
- Nick Theodore, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina is best known for his service as Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, a position he held from 1987 to 1995. While in the General Assembly, he held leadership positions including Chairman of the House Education Committee and Chairman of the Joint Legislative State Employees Committees. Mr. Theodore was the architect and chief author of the Education Finance Act (EFA), which was South Carolina’s first long-range commitment to elementary and secondary education.
- Joseph P. Riley, SC Hall of Fame. Riley served six years in the South Carolina House of Representatives and was elected Mayor of Charleston in 1975. He served ten four-year terms as Mayor, leading the city in areas of cultural diversity, the arts, tourism, economic development, and city planning.
- Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746 - 1825) Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, born to a prominent family of South Carolina's Lowcountry, had a long career as a politician and served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He was also a signer of the US Constitution and twice nominated as the Federalist candidate for the presidency, losing to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1804 and 1808.
- Benjamin Franklin - Two Part Ken Burns Series. Explore the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century's most consequential figures. (Passport)
- Aedanus Burke to John Lamb (June 23, 1788) Regarding the Constitution and feelings of upstate South Carolinians.
- Aedanus Burke (June 16, 1743 – March 30, 1802) was a soldier, slaveholder, judge, and United States Representative from South Carolina.
- Charles Pinckney, South Carolina Hall of Fame.
- John Rutledge, South Carolina Hall of Fame.
- "B" is for Butler, Pierce (1744-1822). In 1787 the General Assembly elected Pierce Butler to the constitutional convention where he championed a strong central government and South Carolina’s interests.
- Robert Joseph Sheheen was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1986. Four years later he presided over the South Carolina House during one of the state’s major political scandals, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sting operation called “Operation Lost Trust.” Speaker Sheheen led efforts to restore public trust by enacting strong ethics legislation.
- Christopher Collier (1930 – 2020) was an American historian and fiction writer.
- Roger Sherman (1721—1793, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.) was an American politician whose plan for representation of large and small states prevented a deadlock at the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787.
- Article I, Section 10, Clause 2: Overview of Import-Export Clause - Constitution Annotated.
