FICATION.) On the election of President coln in 1860, a convention was called on Decem ber 20th, which unanimously passed an ordinanee of secession. The attack on Fort Sumter in April, 1861, precipitated the Civil War. (See CIVIL WAR.) The State furnished 60.000 sol diers to the Confederate armies, though her vot ing population was only about 47,000. Charles ton withstood the Federal attacks until Febru ary, 1S65, when the Confederates were finally compelled to evacuate it. South Carolina suf fered from Sherman's march northward. A provisional Governor was appointed at the close Amendment, a military government was estab lished. In 1868 another constitution allowing negro suffrage was adopted and the State was re-admitted June 25th. The next years were a carnival of official crime and corruption. Illit erate negroes and carpetbaggers filled the high est offices and the debt increased from $5,407,306 in 1868 to $20,333,901 in 1873. The campaign of 1876 was of unexampled bitterness. Intimi dation and bloodshed were called into play. Both sides claimed the victory, and there were for a time rival State governments. When President Hayes withdrew the Federal troops from the State the Republican claimant, Govern or Chamberlain, gave up the contest and Wade Hampton (q.v.) was recognized as Governor.
Several of the State officers were tried on charges of malfeasance and sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment. Since this time, by various methods, the negro majority in the State has been kept powerless in all elections. A severe earthquake, of which Charleston seemed to be the centre, destroyed property valued at $5,000, 000, August. 31, 1886. In 1S03 a great storm on the coast caused the loss of more than 1000 lives. The growth and development of the Farmers' Alliance led to the capture of the Democratic Party in 1890, when B. R. Tillman was elected Governor after a campaign of bitterness second only to that of 1876. In 1901-02 the South Caro lina. Interstate and West Indian Exposition was held at Charleston. In national elections the State has been always Democratic, except in 1792, when the Federalists secured the electors, and during the Reconstruction period, 1868-76, when the vote was given for the Republican can didates. See ELECTORAL COMMISSION.