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Rawlins Lowndes

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Lieutenant
  
James Parsons

Role
  
American Politician

Preceded by
  
John Rutledge

Succeeded by
  
John Rutledge

Children
  
William Lowndes

Name
  
Rawlins Lowndes


Rawlins Lowndes image1findagravecomphotos250photos200917338

Died
  
August 24, 1800, Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Preceded by
  
John Faucheraud Grimke

Rawlins Lowndes (January 6, 1721 – August 24, 1800) was an American lawyer and politician, and president/governor of South Carolina. His sons, Thomas and William Lowndes, both served in the U.S. Congress.

Rawlins Lowndes Rawlins Lowndes Wikipedia

Lowndes was born on the island of St. Kitts in the British West Indies in January 1721.

At the young age of 21, Lowndes was appointed as the Provost-Marshal of South Carolina. He served in this role for ten years, from 1742 to 1752. Lowndes was first elected to the Royal Assembly, the colonial legislature, in 1749. During his years as a South Carolina political leader, Lowndes was a guiding force in South Carolina’s revolutionary government. He was a member of the First and Second Provincial Congresses, the First and Second General Assemblies, and the First and Second Councils of Safety. In 1776, Lowndes was one of eleven committee members charged with the responsibility of writing a draft constitution for South Carolina.

Despite his involvement in challenging increasingly harsh British measures leading up to the American Revolution, Lowndes opposed armed rebellion and independence from Britain.

On March 7, 1778 South Carolina General Assembly elected Lowndes President of South Carolina after John Rutledge. Lowndes approved major changes to the state constitution on March 19, 1778. The first changed the title of South Carolina’s chief executive office from president to governor. The three major changes removed the governor’s power to veto legislation, created a Senate elected via popular election, and disestablished the Church of England in South Carolina.

After serving as President of South Carolina, Lowndes was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1787 and represented the parishes of St. Philip and St. Michael until 1790. As assemblyman he strenuously opposed the motion to accept the federal Constitution, to the clause giving power to congress to regulate commerce; and to the centralization of power which would accrue to the federal government.

During the same period, he was intendant (mayor) of Charleston, from September 1788 to September 1789.

Lowndes died in Charleston, South Carolina, on August 24, 1800.

References

Rawlins Lowndes Wikipedia