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.

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

Early life and career

Governorship

Later life

Archives

See also

References

External links