The First Continental Congress saw representatives from South Carolina support independence and participate in drafting key documents. South Carolina's delegates argued for exempting the important rice crop from the non-importation agreement. For the Second Continental Congress, South Carolina sent new delegates who initially voted against independence but switched to supporting it on the second vote, though not all in South Carolina favored independence.

1. First Continental
Congress

2. Before the Congress…
• Representatives from all over South
Carolina met in Charles Town to
choose delegates to send to
Philadelphia.
• While there, they created the
“General Committee of 99” to
govern the colony.

3. South Carolina Representatives
• Representatives were wealthy
men from the Lowcountry.
–Thomas Lynch
–John Rutledge
–Henry Middleton
–Christopher Gadsden
–Edward Rutledge

4. Congressional Roles
• South Carolina representatives supported
independence.
• John Rutledge served on the committee
that drafted a letter to the British people
explaining the colonists position.
• Thomas Lynch & Christopher Gadsden
helped design the non-importation/non-
exportation agreement

5. Non-Importation/Non-
Exportation Agreement
• The First Continental Congress agreed that
the colonies would not buy certain items
from Great Britain, or sell certain items to
them.
• South Carolina’s delegates argued that the
sale of rice was essential to their survival,
so it was excluded from the list (even
though rice from other colonies was not).

6. Second Continental
Congress

7. South Carolina Delegates
• Arthur Middleton
• Thomas Lynch, Jr.
• Thomas Heyward, Jr.
• Edward Rutledge

8. Views on Independence
• On the first vote for independence the
delegates voted against it.
• On the second vote, the delegates voted for
it.
• No one knows why they switched their
vote.
• While the South Carolina delegates
supported the Declaration, not all South
Carolinians thought the colonies should be
independent.