A few weeks ago, I wrote about one of my favorite little
states, Rhode Island, declaring independence
from England on May 4, 1776.
Evidently, they weren’t the only ones or the first. Hat tip
to History.com and their This Day in History post which points out that South
Carolina declared independence on March 26, 1776 – a full four months
before the official declaration and more than two months before Rhode Island.
If it seems odd that a state (colony) might declare
independence, keep in mind that these colonies saw themselves as something akin
to separate countries. They even squabbled over boundaries and threatened war
against each other from time to time.
The term “United Colonies” was only about a year old and “United
States” wouldn’t be used until the Declaration. Even then, under the Articles
of Confederation, the states were a much looser collection of independent
governments than what we think of as the United States of American today.
So, was South Carolina the first state to declare
independence? Maybe. I’m still looking for a resource that gives me a
definitive answer. If you know of one, let us know!
MJ
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