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CultureGrams
States Edition
2014
South Carolina
The Palmetto State
Established 1788
8th State
The National Wild Turkey Federation has its headquarters in Edgefield.
The town clock in Winnsboro is one of the longest continuously running town clocks in the United States.
Joel Roberts Poinsett, a native South Carolinian, brought back from Mexico a lovely tropical plant that was
eventually named after him: the poinsettia.
South Carolina is one of only a few states where the Venus flytrap, a plant that traps and eats insects, grows in
the wild.
South Carolina boasts more than three hundred golf courses.
The first submarine ever used in warfare was Hunley’s Boat used by Confederate forces in 1863 in Charleston
Harbor.
A museum in Pendleton exhibits the first boll weevil found in South Carolina.
The walls of the fort on Sullivan Island were built out of palmetto wood, which is very spongy. When the fort was
under attack during the Revolutionary War, cannonballs practically bounced off the walls, protecting those inside!
Known as the Swamp Fox, military officer Francis Marion fought in the Revolutionary War against the British.
Hiding in the South Carolina swamps, he led his men in surprise attacks against British forces. To this day, he is
considered one of the fathers of modern guerilla warfare (irregular attacks).
South Carolina was the first state to secede (withdraw) from the Union.
Climate
South Carolina has a warm, humid climate. July’s average temperature hovers around
80°F (27°C) but can feel much hotter with the heavy moisture in the air. January’s
average temperature is 45°F (7°C). Spring and summer are the seasons with the most
rain, usually in the form of afternoon thunderstorms. The western mountains and the
coastline receive most of the state’s moisture. Tornados and hurricanes can strike the
state, often without warning. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo killed 21 people in South Carolina
and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Average Seasonal High and Low Temperatures
Spring: 74/51°F
Summer: 89/69°F
Fall: 75/53°F
Winter: 57/35°F
Geography
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Although South Carolina is the 11th smallest state, its land is incredibly diverse. You
can find sandy beaches, flat grasslands, rolling hills, mountain peaks, and swamps.
About two-thirds of the land is forested, and South Carolina has more swampland than
any other state except Louisiana. The state’s elevation slopes downward from west to
east, starting with a tiny section of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west. Likewise,
rivers flow from west to east until they reach the Atlantic Ocean. The hilly Piedmont
Plateau, called upcountry by natives, comes next and occupies about one-third of the
land. The rest of the land, called lowcountry, is part of the flat Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Along the coast are beautiful beaches, which are popular with the tourists. The animals
that live in the state are just as diverse as the land. Deer, bobcats, and beavers live in
forested areas, and snakes, alligators, and turtles make their homes in the swamps or
along the coast.
Resources and Economy
Although South Carolina is one of the poorer states in the nation, the economy is
growing and improving. Agriculture used to provide the most income for South
Carolinians. Today, it plays a lesser role in the economy. Tobacco, soybeans, and
cotton are the largest crops, and more peaches are grown there than in any state
except California and Georgia. Manufacturing has become the state’s leading industry,
and products include chemicals (like medicine, dyes, and fertilizers) and heavy
machinery. Cotton from local farms is used to make fabric. The forests provide paper
and wood products, and the streams are a source of hydroelectric power. Limestone,
granite, and clay are some of the state’s mineral resources.
Time Line
AD 1500
AD 1500s
Native American tribes, including the Cherokee and Yamasee, inhabit
what is now called South Carolina
1521
Francisco Gordillo explores South Carolina
1526
Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón attempts to settle the area and fails
1562
French Protestants begin a settlement that fails
1566
The Spanish begin another settlement on Parris Island that lasts about
20 years
1600
1670
The English begin the first permanent settlement at Charles Town
1680
Charles Town residents pick up and move to another site
1700
1729
North and South Carolina are separated
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1744
Eliza Lucas Pinckney grows the first successful crop of indigo (a plant
used to make blue dye)
1783
Charles Town’s name is changed to Charleston
1788
South Carolina becomes the eighth state
1790
The capital is moved from Charleston to Columbia
1793
Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin
1800
1822
Denmark Vesey attempts to organize a slave revolt and is hung
1860
South Carolina is the first state to secede (withdraw) from the Union
1861
South Carolinians fire on troops at Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil
War
1868
The state is readmitted to the Union
1900
1922
The boll weevil destroys the cotton crop
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1929
The Great Depression begins
1963
South Carolina public schools begin the process of racial integration
(blending)
1974
South Carolina elects its first Republican governor in a century
1989
Hurricane Hugo claims 21 lives in the Carolinas
2000
2000
Following a long-running controversy, the Confederate flag flying
above the state capitol building is removed
2002
100-year old Senator Strom Thurmond retires
2004
Hurricane Gaston causes major flooding and damages
2011
Nikki Haley becomes the first female governor of South Carolina
PRESENT
The Early Years
Thousands of years ago, Native Americans fished and farmed in what is now South
Carolina. A group called the Mound Builders built large heaps of earth, which they used
for ceremonial purposes. In 1521, a Spanish explorer named Francisco Gordillo
explored the area. A few years later, another Spanish explorer attempted to settle the
area but failed. The French also tried and failed to establish a colony. The Spanish tried
again in 1566, but that settlement endured for only about 20 years. Finally, about a
hundred years later, the English built a settlement called Charles Town (it would later
be called Charleston) that remained.
Growth and Freedom
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In 1670, Charles Town was founded. Ten years later, the community picked up and
moved across the river to better ground. Charles Town grew to be a busy port town,
and the people prospered. Although South Carolina initially tried to maintain ties with
England, the colonists grew increasingly discontent with British rule. In 1776, the British
army fired on Charles Town, so the citizens were forced to fight back. During the
Revolutionary War, the British eventually took Charles Town and most of South
Carolina. By the end of the war, the citizens pushed the troops out and became the
eighth state to ratify (approve) the Constitution.
The Civil War
As people started buying more cotton, South Carolina brought in more slaves to grow
and harvest it. The black population in the state grew to outnumber the whites. At the
same time, the North began to speak out more against the slave-holding South. Also,
Southerners were outraged by a series of high taxes called tariffs, which they believed
favored only the North. When Abraham Lincoln was elected, South Carolina seceded
(withdrew). Ten other states followed and formed the Confederate States of America. In
1861, South Carolinians fired on Fort Sumter and began the Civil War. About 60,000
soldiers from the state went to fight, and almost one-fourth never returned.
Reconstruction
After the South lost the war, Reconstruction began. Northern troops occupied South Carolina to make sure citizens
were obeying the law. In order to rejoin the Union, the state had to free all slaves and give them the right to vote. For a
few years, Northern politicians ruled the state. When Southerners got the chance, they took the government back and
created new laws that kept blacks from voting and segregated, or separated, them from whites. These laws lasted into
the next century.
The Twentieth Century
At the turn of the century, South Carolina’s economy relied heavily on cotton, and textile
mills that used the cotton. However, prices for cotton dropped after World War I. To
make matters worse, in 1922, a type of beetle called the boll weevil destroyed most of
the state’s cotton. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, everything crashed. Many
workers either lost their jobs or were paid less for the work they did. South Carolinians
flooded out of the state in search of work. The economy didn’t pick up again until after
World War II.
Civil Rights Struggle
As the economy worsened in the 1920s and ’30s, so did racial tensions. Racist groups
like the Ku Klux Klan terrorized African Americans, causing many to move out of the
state. After World War II, African Americans became more vocal about the
discrimination they had to endure. For instance, the segregated (separate according to
race) schools and other facilities were much worse for blacks than whites. In 1954, a
Supreme Court decision said schools must desegregate, and so South Carolina began
the process of integrating (blending) students of different races in its schools. In 1970,
the state rezoned schools (changed their boundary lines) in order to further blend the
student populations.
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Population
Today more and more people are moving to South Carolina as they discover the “smiling faces” and “beautiful places,”
as claimed on today’s license plates. However, most of the people who live in South Carolina were born there. Many
descend from families who lived in the area during colonial days. Until fairly recently, South Carolinians lived primarily
in the countryside, but now nearly two-thirds of the population lives in urban (city) areas. Columbia, Charleston, and
Greenville are the largest cities.
Government
Capital: Columbia
State Abbreviation: SC
Governor: Nikki Haley (Republican)
U.S. Senators: 2
Tim Scott (Republican)
Lindsey Graham (Republican)
U.S. Representatives: 7
Republicans: 6
Democrats: 1
State Senators: 46
State Representatives: 124
Counties: 46
Strom Thurmond served more terms as a senator than anyone else and set the
record for Congress’s longest speech, which lasted for more than 24 hours!
South Carolina’s governor is elected for a four-year term and may serve no more
than two consecutive terms in office.
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Famous People
Althea Gibson
Charlotta Spears Bass — Civil rights leader
John C. Calhoun — Statesman
Joe Frazier — Heavyweight champion boxer
Althea Gibson — Tennis champion
Dizzy Gillespie — Jazz musician
Andrew Jackson — Seventh U.S. president
Jesse Jackson — Civil rights activist
Jasper Johns — Artist
Robert Jordan — Author of The Wheel of Time series
Robert Mills — Architect
“The Refrigerator” (William) Perry — Football player
Vanna White — Game show hostess
Dizzy Gillespie
“The Refrigerator”
(William) Perry
Vanna White
Native America
The Catawba, Cherokee, and Yamasee tribes came to the land that is now South
Carolina in the 1600s, around the same time the first Spanish and English explorers did
so. The Catawba were a large tribe, their men famous for being fierce warriors and their
women famous for making pottery and baskets. The Cherokee in the region were part
of the larger Cherokee Nation, which stretched across the southern portion of what is
now the United States. The Yamasee lived along the rivers in the area.
The European settlers brought diseases such as smallpox that wiped out thousands of
natives. In 1715, the Yamasee, with the help of the Catawba and Cherokee, rebelled
against the English colonists. The war lasted for two years and ended only when the
Cherokee switched sides to fight with the colonists. The remaining Yamasee either
moved to Florida to join the Seminole tribe or blended in with other South Carolina
tribes. The Catawba were able to make peace with the colonists and were eventually
given a plot of land on which to live. Around 1,500 of the Catawba’s descendants live
on the same land today. They are the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina.
They still teach the traditional arts of pottery and basketry as a way of preserving their
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culture.
Environment
South Carolina’s environment attracts many kinds of visitors. The state offers
opportunities for backpacking, hiking, boating, cycling, fishing, horseback riding,
hunting, and observing wildlife. Some visitors come to admire the beauty of numerous
public and private gardens, where azaleas, camelias, wisteria, dogwoods, daffodils, and
orchids bloom. Birders from around the world flock to South Carolina to see the more
than 375 species of birds in the state. Golfers are drawn to the smooth, manicured
greens of South Carolina’s golf courses.
Comfort Food
South Carolina is known for its comfort food: simple hearty dishes rich in flavor.
Carolina barbecue generally uses pulled pork, slow cooked and topped with barbecue
sauce. The kind of sauce varies depending on which region of the state you’re in. The
coastal areas are home to a vinegar-based sauce. The Midlands area prefers a
mustard sauce. The upcountry areas use some form of tomato-based barbecue sauce.
Barbecued ribs are also common. Some popular side dishes include “hoppin’ john” (a
mixture of rice, black-eyed peas, and ham), hash (a combination of potatoes, onions,
and beef), and hushpuppies (fried cornbread). These dishes are all served at a
traditional “pig pickin’” party, where an entire pig is barbecued.
State Symbols
State Bird
Carolina wren—This bird’s song sounds like “tea kettle” repeated over and over.
State Tree
Palmetto—Featured on the flag, state seal, and some license plates, the palmetto is
also part of the state’s nickname.
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State Flower
Yellow jessamine—This spring flower blooms throughout the state.
State Animal
White-tailed deer—Each year, hunters hope to sight these deer.
Other Symbols
Amphibian: Spotted salamander
Beverage: Milk
Game Bird: Wild turkey
Butterfly: Eastern tiger swallowtail
Dange: Carolina shag
Folk Dance: Square dance
Dog: Boykin spaniel
Fruit: Peach
Gemstone: Amethyst
Grass: Indian grass
Insect: Carolina mantid
Music: The spiritual
Reptile: Loggerhead sea turtle
Shell: Lettered olive
Songs: “Carolina” and “South Carolina on My Mind”
Spider: Carolina wolf spider
Stone: Blue granite
State Motto
Animis Opibusque Parati—In English, this motto means “Prepared in Mind and Resources.”
Pro Sports Teams
• Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
• Carolina Panthers (NFL)
For More Information
See www.sc.gov or contact the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, 1205 Pendleton Street,
Columbia, SC 29201; phone (866) 224-9339; web site www.discoversouthcarolina.com.
© 2014 ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University. It is against the law to
copy, reprint, store, or transmit any part of this publication in any form by any
means without strict written permission from ProQuest.
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