8-3.

1
Differences of the Lowcountry and
Upcountry South Carolina



The problem between the Upcountry and Lowcountry continued through the American
Revolution as Loyalists and Patriots furthered fighting one another. The first settlers of the
Upcountry were tradesmen and woodsmen, which made them viewed as uncivilized by the
Lowcountry. The Lowcountry was along the coast of South Carolina, around Charleston, which
was the first area settled in the state .The plantation owners grew rich in the Lowcountry due
to growing rice and indigo.
The Lowcountry elite depended on plantations to make their money while the people of the
Upcountry were subsistence farmers. This difference led to even more tension between the
two sections of the state. The Upcountry did not have large plantations and worked without the
help of slave labor. Both sides suffered economically due to the war.
The American Revolution greatly affected both sides. Homes, businesses, and land were
destroyed and the British stole slaves, livestock, and other goods. After the war was over, both
parts of the state were slow to recover from the devastation. The Lowcountry lost subsidies
and markets that they had when South Carolina was part of England. The planters owed money
to creditors in England and the United States government and the state governments could not
pay for the supplies they needed during the war. Poor crop yields furthered the problems
economically for the state. South Carolina suffered economically until cotton became the new
cash crop at the turn of the century.
Politically, the Lowcountry and Upcountry differed in the number of representatives each
section had. The Upcountry had the larger white population, but the Lowcountry had the most
power and representatives and also contained the capital of Charleston. The Upcountry did not
like having to travel so far for conducting business and handling legal matters. In 1785,
counties and county courts were created and in 1786 the capital was moved to Columbia
because it was more centrally located; allowing equal travel for both portions of the state. The
moving of the capital did ease tensions, but it did not get rid of it.
Lowcountry planters did not want to give power to the Upcountry due to the fear that the
Upcountry would not support slavery. Political majority rested in the Lowcountry until the
cotton gin was created and cotton became a valuable cash crop for both the Lowcountry and
Upcountry. Since cotton can be grown in the Upcountry slave labor became needed in that
area. With the increase in slavery in the Upcountry, the Lowcountry was more willing to share
political power. In 1808, the legislature agreed to reapportionment. This made representation
more equal, as it used white population and taxable property (including slaves) to determine
representation.

Image Found:
http://www.industrialrevolutionresearch.com/ind
ustrial_revolution_eli_whitney.php
2. What do you think the slaves
response was to the invention of the
cotton gin?

Image Found:
http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/PRAXIS/taag/00
89/essay_response.htm
1. Why do you think the Lowcountry
was willing to share representation
with the Upcountry?