SC Governors – John Drayton, 1800-1802, 1808-1810

Biographical Overview

• Born: June 22, 1767 in St. Andrews Parish, SC
  
• Died: November 27, 1822 Charleston, South Carolina
  
• Buried: Charleston, South Carolina
  
• Religion: Congregationalist
  
• Political Party: Democratic-Republican
  

Education

• College of New Jersey - 1779
  
• College of South Carolina (now the University of South Carolina) - 1807
  

Occupation

• Planter
• Author

Major Events and Accomplishments, 1st term, 1800–1802

• 1800 – The Santee Canal was completed
  
• 1801 – South Carolina College was founded (now the University of South Carolina)
  
• The General Assembly abolished the county court system and replaced it with a system of district courts

Major Events and Accomplishments, 2nd term, 1808–1810

Other Government Positions

• South Carolina House of Representatives, 1792-1798
  
• Lieutenant Governor, 1798-1800
  
• South Carolina Senate, 1805-1808
  
• US District Court Judge, 1812-1822
  

Other Accomplishments, Honors, Distinctions

• Drayton authored A View of South Carolina, as Respects Her Natural and Civil Concerns and Memoirs of the American Revolution from its Commencement to the Year 1776
  
• The auditorium at the University of South Carolina's Wardlaw College was named for Governor Drayton
  

Election Results

• On December 4, 1800, Drayton served several months as governor prior to the election of 1800 upon succeeding to office at the death of Edward Rutledge. He was then elected to his first full term by the South Carolina General Assembly by secret ballot.
  
• On December 8, 1808, the South Carolina General Assembly elected Drayton for his second term as governor by secret ballot.
  

Web Resources

• Listing of records available at SC Archives and History Center - 1st term | 2nd term