Hill,
William (1741-1 Dec. 1816), ironmaster and politician, [Racist]
was born in
In August 1777 John Rutledge, then president and
later governor of South Carolina,
persuaded Hill to accept a ten-year state loan of 1,000 currency to erect a
furnace for the production of cannonballs, grape shot, camp kettles, and other
utensils for the revolutionary army. When "Aera"
furnace was completed sixteen months later, Hill and Isaac Hayne (who became a
co-partner in March 1778) became the sole manufacturers of heavy weapons and
munitions south of
The munitions produced by Aera
furnace attracted the attention of the enemy. On 18 June 1780 a detachment of
British and Tory soldiers burned Hill's ironworks, home, saw and grist mills,
and the dwellings of his free and enslaved workers. They also confiscated
ninety slaves. The destruction infuriated Hill, prompting him to join Thomas
Sumter's brigade as a lieutenant colonel. Hill served 286 days in the militia,
participating in local battles at Williamson's
Hill was also active in local and state politics.
He represented the area known as New Acquisition in the General Assembly
(1776-1778, 1782-1784) and state senate (1778-1780, 1785-1790). In 1788 Hill
served as a delegate to the state convention, voting against ratification of
the federal Constitution. He represented New Acquisition again at the state
Constitutional Convention two years later. Hill returned to the General
Assembly in 1800, where he served until 1808 and again from 1812 to 1813. Other
offices he held include justice of the peace for Camden District (1783) and
To facilitate the sale of his products throughout the backcountry, Hill supported various transportation schemes: he was a member of the House committee that considered the improvement of inland navigation of the state (1782), a commissioner for clearing a portion of the south fork of the Edisto River (1783), a member of both the Santee (1786) and the Catawba and Wateree canal companies (1787), a commissioner to superintend the opening of the Broad and Pacolet rivers (1801), and a commissioner to superintend the opening of the navigation of the Broad River (1805).
Realizing the importance of iron manufacturing to
the state, the
Hill's furnaces created iron using the Catalan
plan, a process that reduced the ore by directly fusing it with charcoal.
Instead of using the customary bellows, Hill became one of the first iron
manufacturers in the
Financial difficulties continually plagued Hill's Iron Works. His troubles began during the war when paper money received from the revolutionary government depreciated rapidly. Furthermore, he was not properly compensated for supplies furnished to the state. Unable to repay the loans he received after the war to rebuild and expand his facility, Hill was forced in 1796 to sell his entire operation to William Edward Hayne, a lowcountry planter and son of Isaac Hayne. Nevertheless, Hill continued to manage the works. Recognizing his losses and contributions during the Revolution, the legislature in 1812 forgave the balance of Hill's debt. Despite his financial troubles, Hill remained a wealthy and influential leader in his community. Shortly before his death he owned a plantation, a 500-acre tract, household items, twenty-one slaves, and livestock--all valued at $5,910.
A man of imposing presence and dignified manner,
Hill was reputed to have been a charming conversationalist as well as a
forceful orator. Often regarded as the extraordinary company in the state
during the eighteenth century, Hill's Iron Works helped to lay the foundation
for the development of a modest iron industry in antebellum
Bibliography
Hill's petitions to the South
Carolina General Assembly in 1791, 1793, and 1812, located in the
Keith Krawczynski
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