188:, but spent the latter part of his life in the southern state of South Carolina. He was a prominent advocate for the dis-establishment of any state religion. He is known for his opposition to British colonial policy, publishing patriotic essays in support of the revolution. He was selected to travel in 1775 into the "back county" of South Carolina to convert
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and solidity of judgement; for energy and firmness of mind; for inflexible patriotism and for ardent public spirit; For sincere and zealous piety, for the boldness with which he enforced the claims of the Deity and vindicated the rights of man. As a preacher he was prompt, solemn, instructive, and persuasive of every social virtue he was a bright example.
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In Memory Of the Rev
William Tennent A.M. Pastor of this church; (And principally instrumental in the Erection of this building. Dedicated to the worship of Almighty God;) Who died at the High hills of Santee Aug 11th 1777; In the 37th year of his age. He was distinguished for quickness of perception
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Third
Presbyterian preacher of this name, Tennent died several miles south in 1777. He was born in 1740 of a renowned family of ministers and educators. From 1772 he served as pastor of the Independent Church of Charleston. As a Patriot, he prepared the up country for the Revolution and advocated the
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on
January 11, 1777, "praying for a Constitutional Recognition of the Equal Rights of all Religious Denominations". He demanded an end to any state-established religion, and the financial support given to establishment churches by the government. He supported the constitution, adopted in 1778, that
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colonial policy after 1773. He was a member of the South
Carolina General Assembly, then known as the provincial Congress, that functioned as the colony's rebel government, and authored political speeches. He continued as pastor, but successfully segregated his political beliefs in support of the
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state religion. An interdenominational meeting chose
Tennent on April 27, 1776, as their representative in the assembly to lobby for religious freedom in the new state constitution. The 1776 constitution, while renouncing the Church of England, kept South Carolina Anglican. Tennent addressed the
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who were believed to be ready to join the
Patriot cause. Tennent's patriotic speeches succeeded in getting more men to form militia companies loyal to the provincial congress. In one three-day period, he enlisted over four hundred men.
371:, he was influential and respected, and was highly educated with two master's degrees. Furthermore, as a Presbyterian, he would be influential in the rural areas where many of the citizens there were also Presbyterian.
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In 1764, Tennent married Susan
Vergereau. They had five children, including John Charles Tennent (born 1774), Charles, William Peter Tennent (died 1816), and two others. Tennent died August 11, 1777, at
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in early August 1775, after traveling 130 mi (210 km). Tennent conducted a religious service for a company of dissatisfied militia-men there. Tennent then proceeded to travel north across the
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after developing a fever; he had returned from New Jersey where he had gone to accompany his mother, recently widowed, back to South
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times was unnamed and known as either the
Independent, Congregational, or Presbyterian Church. He was not succeeded until the conclusion of the
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in 1783, and during the time the
British held Charleston, they used the building as a storehouse. The church evolved to become the present
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where he was assistant minister. He remained in Norwalk for over six years. He declined an invitation to preach in
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An Address, Occasioned by the Late Invasion of the Liberties of the American Colonists by the British Parliament
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commander. The goal was to explain the reasons for the rebellion and gain the allegiance of their leaders and
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to the cause. In the state assembly, he lobbied for religious liberty in the drafting of state constitutions.
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movement and encourage settlers there to support the Patriot side. The mission was conceived by Colonel
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Tennent was an advocate for religious equality in South Carolina, which at the time had an established
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revolution from his preachings, although he strongly believed in both religious and civil liberty.
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Please Don't Wish Me a Merry Christmas: A Critical History of the Separation of Church and State
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Kramer, Leonard J. (December 1953). "Journal Article MUSKETS IN THE PULPIT: 1776—1783".
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Ramsay's History of South Carolina: From Its First Settlement in 1670 to the Year 1808
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who needed more space and built a second building to complement the Meeting House.
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Tennent published essays in support of the Patriot cause after the passage of the
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322:. His efforts to stimulate Patriotism made him known as the "Firebrand Parson".
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Tennent was first elected to the Assembly in 1774 and authored an anti-British
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The Jews in America: Four Centuries of an Uneasy Encounter : a History
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216:(later Princeton University) in 1758, and earned a master's degree from
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The Committee selected Tennent for the mission because, as grandson of
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Biographical Directory of the South Carolina House of Representatives
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The Antipedo Baptists of Georgetown County, South Carolina, 1710-2010
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History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. I, Part II
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Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers
597:"Hallowed Ground: Circular Congregational Church, Charleston"
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moved in that direction by establishing a state religion of
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William Henry Drayton: South Carolina Revolutionary Patriot
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Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society (1943-1961)
251:. From 1772 until his death in 1777, he was the pastor of
873:"Historic Markers Across South Carolina William Tennent"
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History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography
898:"Church History - First Unitarian Church in the South"
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in 1763. He was licensed to preach (1761–62) and then
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Talbert, Roy; Farish, Meggan A. (December 18, 2014).
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dissenters' appeal for equality in religious rights.
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to the rural areas of South Carolina to counter the
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People of South Carolina in the American Revolution
918:Owen, Thomas McAdory; Owen, Marie Bankhead (1921).
844:. University of South Carolina Press. p. 706.
374:Tennent and Drayton arrived at a trading post near
289:affording equality to all Christian denominations.
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657:. University of South Carolina Press. p. 33.
184:politician. He was born and educated in northern
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411:there to switch sides. A companion on the trip,
1014:Members of the South Carolina General Assembly
173:(1740 – August 11, 1777) was a
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924:. S. J. Clarke publishing Company. p.
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403:In July 1776, Tennent was on a mission to
1004:People from Freehold Township, New Jersey
810:. Columbia University Press. p. 50.
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464:A commemorative inscription there reads:
161:The Meeting House (independent), now the
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552:"A Brief History of the Circular Church"
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453:He is buried in the cemetery of the
336:In 1775, Tennent and Oliver Hart, a
231:He preached for about six months in
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79:High Hills of Santee, South Carolina
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838:Bailey, N. Louise (June 1, 1981).
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282:South Carolina General Assembly
731:Krawczynski, Keith T. (2001).
455:Unitarian Church in Charleston
265:Circular Congregational Church
163:Circular Congregational Church
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27:18th century American minister
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493:"Tennent, William, 1740-1777"
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999:Princeton University alumni
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804:Hertzberg, Arthur (1997).
440:was erected near there on
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994:Harvard University alumni
776:. Yale University Press.
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212:. He graduated from the
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426:High Hills of the Santee
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524:Howe, George (1870).
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459:Society of Dissenters
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362:William Henry Drayton
247:and instead moved to
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214:College of New Jersey
132:College of New Jersey
237:Norwalk, Connecticut
202:Freehold, New Jersey
116:William Tennent, Jr.
950:William Tennent III
772:The Great Awakening
342:Committee of Safety
318:and the subsequent
206:William Tennent Jr.
171:William Tennent III
36:William Tennent III
556:circularchurch.org
271:Religious equality
218:Harvard University
136:Harvard University
877:Latitude 34 North
851:978-0-87249-406-0
817:978-0-231-10841-6
701:978-0-8147-2885-7
664:978-1-61117-421-2
438:historical marker
384:Orangeburg County
299:Whig (or Patriot)
261:Revolutionary War
253:The Meeting House
233:Hanover, Virginia
224:(1762–63) by the
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73:(1777-08-11)
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442:Highway 261
393:Rocky Creek
389:Broad River
963:Categories
474:References
310:Revolution
196:Background
882:March 22,
789:March 27,
750:March 27,
561:March 22,
502:March 22,
430:Stateburg
329:entitled
293:Political
239:, at the
190:Loyalists
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606:March 1,
391:towards
346:Loyalist
327:jeremiad
277:Anglican
257:colonial
222:ordained
118:(father)
99:Religion
93:cemetery
42:Personal
378:on the
358:militia
338:Baptist
316:Tea Act
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