September 17 is Constitution Day

Latest update: 16 September 2024 - gmc 

September 17 is designated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Recognizing that the Articles of Confederation were insufficient for governance, delegates from the 13 states debated issues of federalism and representation throughout May and into September. In the end,  the delegates had created a draft of a proposed Constitution to structure a new government for the fledgling nation. According to the History Channel's webpages about the US Constitution: "The document that emerged from the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 was the product of a sense of urgency and of mission, solid preparation, and secret debate that allowed open-mindedness and compromise, and a body of delegates who in the aggregate possessed both a command of political philosophy and much practical experience under state constitutions and the Articles of Confederation."

South Carolina's delegates in Philadelphia were strong advocates for protecting property rights particularly with regard to the enslaved and in determining the formula for representation under the proposed new form of government. Four men from South Carolina signed the document that has become the longest-lived national constitution in the world. These men were John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney and Pierce Butler. America's Founding Fathers website gives a brief biographical sketch of each man. Each one had a connection to Beaufort District.

You can learn much more about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Framers of the Constitution on the National Archives website.  You can also download high resolution copies of the Charters of Freedom for personal use.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has a thorough bibliography of printed and audio visual sources about Constitution Day on its website that I recommend you explore. There's even an image of an original draft of the Constitution with notes by Beaufort District's own Pierce Butler, August 6, 1787 (Gilder Lehrman Institute, GLC00819.01). 
 

Charles C. Pinckney

And then it was on to the states for ratification. Each state was required to hold a ratification convention. We have a copy of the "Journal of the Convention of South Carolina which ratified the Constitution of the United States May 23, 1788" in our Research Room. Ours is a facsimile copy printed for the Historical Commission of South Carolina by the Foote & Davies Company of Atlanta, GA in 1928.

The "Journal of the Convention of South Carolina which ratified the Constitution of the United States May 23, 1788" are notes taken of the proceedings of the 100 delegates who met at the Charles Town City Hall to discuss the document. Thomas Bee was selected to Chair the preparations for convention. The Convention began on May 12 and elected Thomas Pinckney its President and selected John Sandford Dart as the Secretary. Dart wrote in a clear script so it only takes a few minutes to "get the hang of" his handwriting. 

The Convention will meet Mondays through Saturdays until the matter is settled.

(Beaufort District Collection) 

The very first day some delegates complain that the venue is too small and a committee was appointed to look into the matter. On May 13th, the convention agreed upon the rules of conduct: when and how often a delegate could speak on a topic under consideration; the definition of a quorum to conduct business; the fine for leaving the convention early; and this one: Rule #7: "Every Member when speaking shall adhere to the point before the Convention and shall not be interrupted unlefs [This is the later 18th century, you know] he departs from it when he may be called to order."  

On May 15, 1788, the Fairfield delegate William Kirkland informs the Convention that he won't be attending on account of the smallpox outbreak in Charleston. 

On May 21, 1788 General Thomas Sumter makes a motion to delay the proceedings of the Convention until October 20th. A vote is taken and 89 delegates say "yes" to postponement and 135 delegates vote "no." All Beaufort District delegates, except for John Lewis Bourquin, Jr. want to get on with business.

On May 23, 1788, the Convention voted on a resolution that objected to the lack of term limits on the President under the proposed United States Constitution as it "is dangerous to the Liberties of the people, [and] calculated to perpetuate in One person during Life the high authority and influence of that Magistracy in a short time to terminate in what the good people of this State highly disapprove of An hereditary Monarchy." (It would take ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1951 to change this.) All the Beaufort District delegates, except for John Lewis Bourquin, Jr. who represented St. Peter's Parish, voted "No" to the motion. The motion failed to pass 139 to 68. 

A number of other votes were taken and recorded on May 23 including the key issue: Would the proposed United States Constitution become the new law of the new country? In South Carolina, 149 delegates voted in favor of accepting the Constitution; 73 delegates voted against ratification. 

All of the St. Helena's Parish delegates (John Barnwell, John Joyner, John Kean, William H. Wigg, Robert Barnwell, William Elliott, and James Stewart) and all the Prince William's Parish delegates (Thomas Hutson, John McPherson, James Maine, John A Cuthbert, John Lightwood, John Simmons, and Stephen Deveaux) voted "Ay." Two thirds of the St. Peter's Parish delegates were in favor of ratification: John Fenwick, Joachim Hartestone, Seth Stafford, and Rev. Henry Holcom. John Lewis Bourquin, Jr. and John Chisholm voted against ratification. 

The Convention dissolved itself on May 24, 1788.  

Learn more about other resources available to help illuminate the founding of our republic in the BDC's WordPress blog.

PS: I have a presentation called "Beaufort District and The United States Constitution" in case your organization needs a speaker in September 2025: bdc@bcgov.net or 843-255-6468.