Description

Although South Carolina's colonial charter promised a safe harbor of religious freedom for those who were oppressed, eighteenth-century religious minorities in the colony found their rights were subjugated to those of the Anglicans. The Dawn of Religious Freedom in South Carolina contains eight essays by historians and legal scholars that trace the quest for religious equality by Protestant dissenters, Huguenots, Jews, Quakers, Afro-Carolinians, and Roman Catholics. Uncovering the historical roots of the separation of church and state, the contributors use South Carolina's experience to illustrate that religious freedom is more secure when widely shared. South Carolina was a beacon of religious freedom when compared to many other North American colonies. The contributors recount the incremental steps that culminated with the 1790 Constitution's grant of free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference.