William Richardson Davie's Compromises

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William Richardson Davie was one of the eight delegates present at the Constitutional Convention who were born outside of the colonies. Davie was born in 1756 in England to semi-affluent Presbyterian parents. After moving to South Carolina to be closer to his uncle, Davie studied at Queen’s Museum and then Liberty Hall. He also studied at Princeton University and the College of New Jersey in order to become a lawyer. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he joined the Patriot cause immediately and joined the fight for independance. Davie served under General Allen Jones until he was injured in 1779. It was during his time serving under General Jones that he met his wife, Sarah. Many thought the pairing was …show more content…

Later he was elected to the House of Commons and associated himself with the conservative sect. He supported things such as complying with the Treaty of Paris. During the Constitutional Convention he remained in the background, but did play a very important role. He cast a tie breaking vote for the Great Compromise and also implied the threat that the South would not support the constitution unless it supported the Three-Fifths compromise. Although he constantly stated his support for the Three-Fifths Compromise he also implied that he would be willing to compromise with the North as long as they respected the basis of the Compromise. Although he did not sign the Constitution, His threats of a Southern walkout from the Convention and his unrelenting dedication to getting proper representation were some of the reasons that the Three-Fifths Compromise was …show more content…

He spent monthes in Paris negotioating the Convention of 1800. After returning home he was tasked with negotiating yet again, but this time with the Tuscarora Indians in North Carolina.His negotiations ended with the settlement that the Tuscarora Indians would pay a tax to the government until July 12, 1916, the time that the Tuscarora would give their land to the state. While running for office again in 1803 Davie found that he was dissilluioned with politics and the public opinion.He lost the election and moved his plantation to South Carolina. In April 1802 his wife, Sarah, died. After Davie seemed to slip into a depression, aging faster than before and complaining of many ailments. He turned down offers by to serve in military and political decisions such as when James Madison offered him a commission as a major general in the War of 1812. He passed away in 1820 and was buried in the family

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