PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION The First Provincial Congress In South Carolina, the growing dissatisfaction in the colonies with the British crown was largely confined to the low country. The settlers in the Fork had fewer contacts with commerce, little to do with taxes on imports, and little opportunity to exchange views with the northern colonists. The Germans and Swiss who had received gifts of their lands in the form of bounty grants were grateful to the English monarch who had bestowed them. Life in Carolina, even with the hardships endured by the early settlers, was better than that in Europe. They had no desire to risk their new freedom by agitating for revolution. Fourteen months of mass meetings resulted in the election of a general provincial committee to meet in Charleston on January 11, 1775. It was to be composed of 185 members, 40 of whom were to come from St. Mark's Parish, the unwieldy, sprawling unit created by the Assembly in 1757 and including the Fork between the Broad and Saluda rivers and Camden District. Ninety Six District (that portion laying west of the Fork) was allotted ten members, and the Fork between the Broad and Saluda, ten members. Members from the Fork were Major John Caldwell, John Colcock, Rowland Rugely, Jonathan Downs, John Satterthwaite (Satterwhite), James Williams, John Williams, John McNees, Charles King, and George Ross. The committee proudly adopted the name "Provincial Congress" and proceeded to make plans for peacefully carrying out the non importation agreement proposed by the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. This was an effort to prevent the importation of British goods throughout America in the hope of forcing Britain to grant her colonies more self-government and more freedom of commerce. In its first session, the Provincial Congress re-elected the same five delegate to represent the colony in the Second Continental Congress, approved the decisions of the First Continental Congress, set up committees to carry out the non-importation policy in the several parts of the province, and adjourned on January 17, 1775, to meet at the call of the Charleston general committee. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com