150 years after the Democratic convention in Charleston

The South Carolina Institute Hall where the convention was held and the Secession Ordinance would later be signed. The building was at 130 Meeting Street and is no longer standing.

Robert N. Rosen, author of "Confederate Charleston, an Illustrated History of the City and the People during the Civil War," has a nice column at The Post and Courier about the April 23, 1860 Democratic convention in Charleston that would act as precursor to the Secession.

It walks you through the attitudes and events that would derail hopes of a strong nomination to leverage a pro-slavery policy, and would instead leave secession as the dominant choice.

Take a read of his piece here.

Filed in