William Henry Drayton
William Henry was born on his family's plantation, Drayton Hall, on the bank of the Ashley River near Charleston.His father John Drayton had just completed construction of a massive main house on the rice plantation.He became a member of South Carolina's Committee of safety in 1775 as well as the provisional Congress that functioned as the colony's rebel government.When they began operating under an interim constitution in 1776, he returned to his seat on the council, serving as chief justice of state's Supreme Court.When the South Carolina General Assembly unanimously voted for union with Georgia in 1776, Drayton became the chief champion of the proposal.