“C” is for Compromise of 1808

“C” is for Compromise of 1808. Under the constitutions of 1778 and 1790, the House of Representatives was apportioned to benefit the lowcountry while the majority of the voting (White) population lived in the upcountry. In 1794 the Representative Reform Association was founded and undertook an unsuccessful petition drive to compel the General Assembly to consider reapportionment. In 1808 the General Assembly finally passed a constitutional amendment that apportioned the South Carolina House of Representatives according to White population and taxation. Thus, one representative would represent 1/62nd of the state's population and one would represent 1/62nd of taxes collected, yielding the houses 124 members. The compromise of 1808 also allowed for reapportionment to take place once every ten years. The Compromise of 1808 settled the issue of representation of the upcountry and helped to unify the state.