Governor Arnoldus Vandershorst

ARNOLDUS VANDERHORST was born in Christ Church Parish, South Carolina. A planter and businessman, he served as an officer in the Revolutionary War. He was Intendant (mayor) of Charleston in 1785 and 1791, a state Senator in 1782, and a member of the state Privy Council in 1783. During his gubernatorial administration, South Carolinians were focused on the treaty negotiated by John Jay between the United States and Great Britain that many felt did not provide adequately for the shipment of cotton to England-a potential problem for South Carolina’s economy. This led to distrust of Federalist leaders and ultimately to Thomas Jefferson’s election as President and the election of a Democratic-Republican-Charles Pinckney-to succeed Vanderhorst.