Arnoldus Vanderhorst (; March 21, 1748 – January 29, 1815) was an American military officer and planter. He was a
general of the South Carolina
militia during the
American Revolutionary War and served as the
governor of South Carolina
The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
from 1794 to 1796.
Early life and career
Born in Christ Church Parish, Vanderhorst took up planting at his
plantation on the eastern half of
Kiawah Island Kiawah may refer to
* Kiawah Island, South Carolina
* the Kiawah people
The Kiawah were a constituent group of the Cusabo people, in the
Lowcountry. He participated in the
Revolutionary War as an officer under the command of
Francis Marion
Brigadier-General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the Swamp Fox, was an American military officer, planter and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the Ameri ...
. During the war, he also served in the
South Carolina House of Representatives from 1776 to 1780 and in the
South Carolina Senate
The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives. It consists of 46 senators elected from single member districts for four-year terms at the sa ...
from 1780 to 1786. After his service in the state Senate, Vanderhorst was elected
mayor of Charleston
The Mayor is the highest elected official in Charleston, South Carolina. Since the city's incorporation in 1783, Charleston's chief executive officer has been elected directly by qualified voters, except for the years 1867–1868, when mayors w ...
for two terms. He was elected mayor of
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, on September 12, 1785.
Governorship
In 1794, he was elected by the
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
as a
Federalist
The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''.
History Europe federation
In Europe, proponents of de ...
to be
Governor of South Carolina
The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
. During his administration, Vanderhorst pressed the legislature for the revision of the criminal code because the sentences were so harsh that jurors would grant acquittal. In addition, he advocated for a prison system similar to that of the state of
Pennsylvania instead of the state jails that "were of medieval barbarity."
Later life
After leaving the governorship in 1796, he returned to his
plantation on Kiawah Island where slaves he owned cultivated sea island cotton. Vanderhorst died on January 29, 1815, and he was buried at the St. Michael's churchyard in
Charleston
Charleston most commonly refers to:
* Charleston, South Carolina
* Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital
* Charleston (dance)
Charleston may also refer to:
Places Australia
* Charleston, South Australia
Canada
* Charleston, Newfoundlan ...
. He also proposed the need for a state penitentiary. Later the state penitentiary named Central Correction Institution that was open until 1994.
Archives
Papers of the Vanderhorst family are held at the
South Carolina Historical Society and
Bristol Archives.
See also
*
Arnoldus Vander Horst House
The Arnoldus Vander Horst House is a plantation house on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. It is named for Arnoldus Vanderhorst, who was a governor of South Carolina.
The house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 25, ...
*
Vanderhorst Row
Vanderhorst Row in Charleston, South Carolina is a three-unit residential building built in 1800 by Arnoldus Vanderhorst, a governor of South Carolina (1792-1794). Each unit is four floors. The units at the north and south end of the range have do ...
References
*
External links
SCIway Biography of Arnoldus VanderhorstNGA Biography of Arnoldus Vanderhorst
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanderhorst, Arnoldus
1748 births
1815 deaths
People from Charleston County, South Carolina
American people of Dutch descent
American slave owners
South Carolina Federalists
South Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution
Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina state senators
Governors of South Carolina
Militia generals in the American Revolution
Mayors of Charleston, South Carolina
Federalist Party state governors of the United States
19th-century American Episcopalians