Edward Rutledge began practicing law in Charleston in 1773 after training at the Middle Temple in London. He gained attention by defending the publisher Thomas Powell against imprisonment for criticism of the colonial legislature. Elected to the Continental Congress in 1774, he became increasingly influential within South Carolina's delegation. He initially sought delay on independence, arguing that the colonies should strengthen their union and foreign support before taking the final step.

After South Carolina voted against independence on July 1, 1776, Rutledge persuaded his colleagues to reverse their position for unanimity. He signed the Declaration and later joined Benjamin Franklin and John Adams in the unsuccessful peace conference with Lord Howe on Staten Island. Returning to South Carolina, he resumed law and entered the legislature. As a militia officer he served at Port Royal Island in 1779 and was captured when Charleston fell in 1780, remaining a prisoner at St Augustine until 1781.

Rutledge returned to the state legislature after the war, helped frame South Carolina's constitution in 1790 and sponsored the abolition of primogeniture. His law practice and plantation investments increased his wealth. He aligned with the Federalists and declined an appointment to the United States Supreme Court. Elected governor in 1798, he served until his death in January 1800. His career linked independence with the new state's conservative politics and legal institutions.