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"C" is for Craven, Charles (1682-1754)

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

"C" is for Craven, Charles (1682-1754). Governor. Craven was a younger son of Sir William Craven, one of the original Lords Proprietors. He was appointed deputy governor of Carolina in 1711 and arrived in the colony in 1712. He had one of the longest tenures of any proprietary-era governor and his was considered one of the most successful terms of office. Among his successes was the reception act of 1712 that established English common and statute law in Carolina, election laws that briefly imposed order on the colony’s chaotic election process, and legislation to reform Indian trade and to encourage immigration. He accomplished much because he was willing to work with the Commons House. When the Yamassee War erupted in 1715, Charles Craven commanded Carolina troops until he departed the colony 1716.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.