South Carolina Governors – William Henry Gist, 1858-1860

South Carolina SC History SC Governors Governor William Henry Gist

Biographical Overview Born: August 22, 1807 in Charleston, SC Died: September 30, 1874 Buried: Union District, SC Religion: Methodist Political Party: Democrat	William Henry Gist
Education South Carolina College (now the University of South Carolina) - Withdrew in 1827
Occupation Lawyer

Major Events and Accomplishments, 1858–1860

• October 5, 1860 – Governor Gist notified the other southern states that South Carolina was strongly considering secession
  
• December, 1860 – Governor Gist left office the same day the Secession Convention met to consider the question of secession following Lincoln's election as President of the United States
  

Other Government Positions

• South Carolina House of Representatives, 1840-1844
  
• South Carolina Senate, 1844-1856
  

Other Accomplishments, Honors, Distinctions

• December 20, 1860 – Gist signed the Ordinance of Secession - PDF - full text
  

Election Results

• On December 10, 1858, the South Carolina General Assembly elected Gist for governor by secret ballot.
  

Web Resources

• Listing of records available at SC Archives and History Center