John Lyde Wilson (May 24, 1784February 12, 1849) was the 49th

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

from 1822 to 1824 and an ardent supporter of

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

ing.

Early life and career

Born in Marlboro County, Wilson studied law in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

and was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1807. He practiced law in Georgetown and became active in politics by being elected to three non-consecutive terms to the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...

. Wilson gained election to the

South Carolina Senate The South Carolina State 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 ...

in 1818 and was chosen by his colleagues to be the president of the senate. In 1822, 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 ...

elected him as

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 ...

for a two-year term.

Governor

Governor Wilson believed in

states' rights In United States, American politics of the United States, political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments of the United States, state governments rather than the federal government of the United States, ...

and assailed the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

for carrying out

internal improvements Internal improvements is the term used historically in the United States for public works from the end of the American Revolution through much of the 19th century, mainly for the creation of a transportation infrastructure: roads, turnpikes, can ...

as a result of revenues brought in by the tariff of 1824. During his term as governor, Wilson advocated the humane reform of the Negro Laws and backed the incorporation of the Medical College of South Carolina in 1823.

Later life and career

Wilson won re-election to the state Senate in 1826, but was pressed for impeachment by Thomas S. Grimké, who accused Wilson of being reckless with the State's finances, as governor. Having felt that his honor had been impugned, Wilson challenged Grimké to a

. However, both sides agreed to "set aside their Differences" when the contingent funds were accounted for. In 1832, Wilson participated in the Nullification Convention and was firmly committed to

secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...

. He additionally served as a leader of a Lynching Club which acted as a

vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice ...

group to enforce the law and maintain Southern sensibilities. When a mob went to the Charleston post office in 1835 to confiscate mail containing

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

literature, Wilson supported their efforts and endorsed their actions. Based mostly on personal experience, Wilson penned ''The Code of Honor'' in 1838 which described a set of guidelines for duelists and he argued that it would save lives instead of encouraging duels. Wilson died on February 12, 1849, and was buried at St. Paul's Church in Charleston.

References

External links

SCIway Biography of John Lyde WilsonNGA Biography of John Lyde Wilson
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External links

{{commons category 1784 births 1849 deaths 19th-century American lawyers People from Marlboro County, South Carolina American duellists Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives South Carolina state senators Governors of South Carolina University of South Carolina trustees South Carolina Democratic-Republicans Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly