“Forging Democracy: The 1776 SC Constitution and its Enduring Impact”

The Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse is pleased to present “Forging Democracy: The 1776 South Carolina Constitution and its Enduring Impact,” a special event commemorating the 250th anniversary of the 1776 South Carolina Constitution and its lasting impact on the development of representative government, constitutional law, and civic life in South Carolina and the United States. The discussion will explore the historical significance of South Carolina’s first constitution, the political and legal challenges surrounding its creation during the Revolutionary era, and its influence on the evolution of democratic institutions in the state.
The panel will feature distinguished leaders and scholars from the fields of law, government, and history, including the Honorable Jean Hoefer Toal, the former Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court; the Honorable J. Michelle Childs, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; Vincent Sheheen, Mayor of Camden and attorney; William Watkins, constitutional scholar and attorney. The conversation will be moderated by the Honorable Julius N. Richardson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.