South Carolina H 5187: Noah Brockett

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5187 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 17, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5187

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

TO COMMEMORATE FEBRUARY 22, 2026, 
AS "GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO ENCOURAGE ALL 
CITIZENS OF THE PALMETTO STATE TO REMEMBER AND HONOR OUR GREAT COUNTRY'S FIRST 
PRESIDENT, WHO LED OUR ANCESTORS THROUGH THE DARK DAYS OF REVOLUTION TO THE 
FOUNDING OF A NEW NATION.

Whereas, born in Virginia on February 22, 1732, President George 
Washington became known as the "Father of Our Country" as a result of the 
critical role he played as commander in chief of the Continental Army in the 
American Revolutionary War, his service as president of the 1787 Constitutional 
Convention, and his two terms as the first president of the United States of 
America (1789-1797); and

Whereas, in 1791, in an effort to unify the new country, President 
George Washington toured the Southern states. On April 27, he crossed into 
South Carolina and headed to Horry County. On April 30, he spent the night in 
Georgetown and the next morning had breakfast with Eliza Lucas Pinckney and her 
daughter Harriott Horry at Hampton Plantation. Washington then spent more than 
a week, May 1-10, visiting locations across Charleston County, a period of time 
longer than his stay in any other location during his tour of the Southern 
states; and

Whereas, during his stay in Charleston, President Washington visited 
many local sites, including Awendaw Barony, the home of Joseph Manigault; See 
Farm, the country home of Governor Charles Pinckney; the ferry landing at 
Haddrell's Point in what is now known as Mount Pleasant; Prioleau's Wharf; the 
Exchange Building; the home of Thomas Heyward, now known as the Heyward-Washington 
House; the city home of Governor Pinckney on Meeting Street; the Orphan House; 
St. Michael's Church; and St. Philip's Church, all in downtown Charleston; and

Whereas, President Washington also joined General William Moultrie 
and others in surveying local military installations and the remains of the 
lines and batteries thrown up for the defense of the city when it was attacked 
by the British fleet and army, including Fort Johnson on James Island, as well 
as Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island; and

Whereas, upon leaving the city proper, President Washington crossed 
the Ashley River on a bridge that ended at the modern-day Bees Ferry Road, 
where he visited Sandy Hill, the home of his cousin, Colonel William 
Washington. He further visited the home of Thomas Bee near Jacksonboro. President 
Washington then made stops in Savannah and Augusta before passing through 
Edgefield on his way to Columbia, where he was greeted by troops and 
entertained at the Lafayette House. Finally, he visited Camden before crossing over 
into North Carolina; and

Whereas, President George Washington struggled with the institution 
of slavery throughout his life. At the end of his life, he made the decision to 
free all the enslaved people he owned upon the death of his wife, making him 
the only president of the nine who owned slaves to do so. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of 
Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House 
of Representatives, by this resolution, commemorate February 22, 2026, 
as "George Washington's Birthday" in South Carolina and encourage all citizens 
of the Palmetto State to remember and honor our great country's first 
president, who led our ancestors through the dark days of revolution to the 
founding of a new nation.

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This web page was last updated on February 17, 2026 at 12:57 PM