South Carolina (SC).

• Region: Southeast Atlantic coast
• Population: 5,282,634 (ranked 23rd; 2022 estimate)
• Capital: Columbia (pop. 139,698) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Charleston (pop. 153,672) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 46
• State nickname: Palmetto State
• State motto: Animis opibusque parati (Prepared in mind and resources); Dum spiro spero (While I breathe, I hope)
• State flag: Blue field with palmetto tree and crescent moon

South Carolina, part of the Deep South, entered the Union on May 23, 1788, as the eighth state. Known as the "Palmetto State" for its lush palmetto trees, South Carolina is located in the southeastern United States along the Eastern Seaboard. It is bounded on the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Georgia, and on the north by North Carolina. The state was the first to secede during the Civil War. South Carolinians continue to deal with the war's legacy, as seen by longtime disputes about whether to fly the Confederate flag at the state capitol; the decision was ultimately reached in 2015 to remove the flag from all government property. South Carolina diversified its economy in the twentieth century, but remains heavily agricultural, growing cotton, tobacco, and soybeans. Industries include textiles, industrial machinery, chemicals, and commercial fishing, as well as services which support local military bases.

State Name: South Carolina, like neighboring North Carolina, is named in honor of King Charles I of England. The Crown originally established a single colony known as Carolina; this was divided in 1712 into northern and southern sections, each with its own governor. In 1729, the sections became separate royal colonies. South Carolina is known as "the Palmetto State" from the leafy palmetto trees which grow abundantly there. Previously, South Carolina was nicknamed the "Iodine State," for the high levels of iodine in the soil.

Capital: Columbia, located in central South Carolina, has served as the state capital since 1790. Charleston was the original capital, but eventually became identified too closely with the coastal aristocracy. Prior to the establishment of separate North and South Carolina governments in 1712, the governor of Carolina colony operated from Charleston.

Flag: The South Carolina state flag consists of a blue union, or background, on which is pictured a palmetto tree—source of the state's nickname. The palmetto was added as an emblem to represent the June 28, 1776, Battle of Sullivan's Island, when South Carolina militia Colonel William Moultrie defended the island's palmetto-log fort against a British naval assault. At the upper left corner of the blue union is a crescent moon.

Official Symbols

• Flower: Yellow jessamine
• Bird: Carolina wren
• Tree: Palmetto
• Animal: White-tailed deer
• Fish: Striped bass
• Song: "Carolina" by Henri Timrod and Anne C. Burgess; "South Carolina on My Mind" by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge

State and National Historic Sites

• Charles Pinckney National Historic Site (Mt. Pleasant)
• Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site (Charleston)
• Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site (Summerville)
• Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve (Cayce)
• Cowpens National Battlefield (near Chesnee)
• Fort Sumter National Monument (in Charleston Harbor)
• Hampton Plantation State Historic Site (McClellanville)
• Kings Mountain National Military Park (near Blacksburg)
• Musgrove Mill State Historic Site (Clinton)
• Ninety Six National Historic Site (Ninety Six)
• Oconee Station State Historic Site (Walhalla)
• Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (in Kings Mountain National Military Park)
• Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site (Union)

State-Specific Holidays

• Confederate Memorial Day (early May)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 5,282,634 (ranked 23rd; 2022 estimate)
• Population density: 170.2/sq mi (2020 estimate)
• Urban population: 67.9% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 332.1% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 21.2% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 19.1% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 68.9% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 26.3% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 6.6% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.6% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 2% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 2.2% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $32,823 (ranked 40th; 2021 estimate)
• Unemployment: 3.2% (2022 estimate)

American Indians: Many American Indian groups inhabited South Carolina in colonial times. Such groups included the Catawba, Cherokee, Pee Dee, Santee, and Yemassee. The Catawba and the Cherokee were among the most prominent.

There were once over twenty-five tribes in South Carolina, but only one was recognized by the federal government in 2023. In 1993, the Catawba Indian Nation received federal recognition. Groups recognized by the state included the Beaver Creek Indians, Edisto Natchez Kusso Tribe of South Carolina, Pee Dee Indian Nation of Upper South Carolina, Pee Dee Indian Tribe of South Carolina, Santee Indian Organization, the Waccamaw Indian People, and Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 32,021 sq mi (ranked 40th)
• Land area: 30,061 sq mi (93.9% of total area)
• Water area: 1,960 sq mi (6.1% of total area)
• Shoreline: 2,876 miles
• National parks: 7
• Highest point: Sassafras Mountain (3,560 feet)
• Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean (sea level)
• Highest temperature: 113° F (Columbia University of South Carolina, June 29, 2012)
• Lowest temperature: -19° F (Caesars Head, January 21, 1985)

Topography: South Carolina has two main topographic divisions—the Up Country (western mountains and central Piedmont) and the Low Country (coastal plain). This division has influenced much of the state's history, affecting the dominant types of agriculture and industry. The Low Country, with its swampy, "tidewater" character, gave rise to large plantations which grew a single crop, such as cotton. The Up Country tended toward small farms, as in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

Major Lakes

• Lake Blalock
• Lake Greenwood
• Lake Marion
• Lake Monticello
• Lake Moultrie
• Lake Russell
• Lake Secession
• Lake Thurmond
• Lake Wateree

Major Rivers

• Broad River
• Catawba River
• Edisto River
• Enoree River
• Great Pee Dee River
• Saluda River
• Savannah River
• Thompson River
• Waccamaw River

State and National Parks: South Carolina has more than forty state parks, with many of them in the mountains and along the coastline. These include places such as Aiken State Park, Paris Mountain State Park, and Myrtle Beach State Park. They also include historic sites such as the Revolutionary War battlefield of Kings Mountain and the nineteenth-century estate Rose Hill Plantation. The state is also home to seven national parks, including Congaree National Park.

Natural Resources: Historically, South Carolina's most important natural resources were its rich soil, timberlands, and fishing grounds. Mineral resources include sand, gravel, and stone. There is also some gold, but not in great quantities. The state's mining industry is a leading producer of vermiculite and a major producer of kaolin.

Plants and Animals: South Carolina has plant and animal species characteristic of the Deep South. Much of the Low Country is covered with evergreen forests, while the Sand Hills contain many pine barrens. Along the coast one finds subtropical species such as the palmetto tree and the yucca, as well as various kinds of coastal grasses. In the marshlands and sandy plains just inland of the coast, one finds cypress swamps filled with bald cypress and insect-eating plants such as the pitcher plant.

As in other parts of the United States, large game animals have become rare due to human habitation. Wildcats and black bear have been reported occasionally, but more typically one finds small animals such as white-tailed deer, foxes, and squirrels.

Climate: South Carolina has a generally temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. The state receives a great deal of both rain and snow, and precipitation is generally well distributed. The western mountains receive between 70 and 80 inches of rain each year, while the coastal plain averages between 50 and 52 inches. The middle part of the state is driest, receiving between 42 and 47 inches of rain. The state sometimes experiences tropical hurricanes, especially in summer and early fall. Tornadoes are also a regular occurrence, though these tend to have localized effects.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Allen University (Columbia)
• Benedict College (Columbia)
• Bob Jones University (Greenville)
• Charleston Southern University (Charleston)
• The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina (Charleston)
• Clemson University (Clemson)
• College of Charleston (Charleston)
• Columbia International University (Columbia)
• Converse College (Spartanburg)
• Francis Marion University (Florence)
• Furman University (Greenville)
• Lander University (Greenwood)
• Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston)
• Newberry College (Newberry)
• North Greenville College (Tigerville)
• South Carolina State University (Orangeburg)
• Southern Wesleyan University (Central)
• University of South Carolina (Columbia, Aiken, Beaufort, Upstate)
• Voorhees College (Denmark)
• Winthrop University (Rock Hill)
• Wofford College (Spartanburg)

Major Museums

• Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery (Greenville)
• Brookgreen Gardens (Georgetown)
• Charleston Museum (Charleston)
• Columbia Museum of Art (Columbia)
• Gibbes Museum of Art (Charleston)
• Greenville County Museum of Art (Greenville)
• McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina (Columbia)
• Museum of York County (Rock Hill)
• South Carolina State Museum (Columbia)

Major Libraries

• Charleston Library Society (Charleston)
• Heritage Library (Hilton Head Island)
• South Carolina State Library (Columbia)
• Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina (Columbia)

Media

South Carolina's media is well developed, with numerous major and minor media markets. Major newspapers include the Charleston Post and Courier and the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Weekly publications include the Charleston Regional Business Journal and the Columbia Star. Broadcast sources include radio and television network affiliates in the larger cities. The state also has a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, South Carolina Public Radio.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 295,880.5 (ranked 25th; 2022)
• GDP percent change: 2.4%

Major Industries: South Carolina, like neighboring North Carolina, was once mostly agricultural. After the Civil War, however, the state became increasingly industrial. Significant modern industries include machinery, aerospace equipment and automotive parts, plastics and rubber products, metal products, and chemicals. Commercial fishing off the Atlantic coast is an important industry, focusing on shrimp and blue crabs.

The state's economy also relies on the presence of military bases, such as Joint Base Charleston. Tourism is also important.

Tourism: South Carolina's tourism industry relies extensively on the state's scenic beauty, Southern hospitality, and rich history. Popular destinations include nineteenth-century plantations, remnants of the pre-Civil War South. Other points of interest are military sites related to the American Revolution (such as Cowpens) and the Civil War sites (such as Fort Sumter in Charleston). Charleston is also home to the World War II aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Natural sites include the Cypress Gardens in Charleston.

Energy Production: South Carolina relies heavily on conventional sources of power, but the main source of energy is the state's four nuclear power plants. These facilities—Catawba, Oconee, H. B. Robinson, and Virgil C. Summer—provided 54 percent of South Carolina's electricity in 2021, making the state the third-largest producer of nuclear energy that year. In 2019, natural gas and coal accounted for about another 28.6 percent and 7 percent of energy production, respectively. About 9.1 percent of the energy South Carolina generated in 2019 came from renewable energy sources, primarily hydroelectric and biomass power.

Agriculture: As noted elsewhere, South Carolina's economy is still heavily agricultural. Cotton is no longer "king," as in pre-Civil War times—corn, soybeans, peanuts, hay, tobacco, wheat, and oats are now important crops as well. The state also has a rich history of tea production. The nation's oldest commercial tea plantation is located on Wadmalaw Island, south of Charleston; tea has been grown there since colonial times. The poultry, hog, and cattle industries are also important, as is greenhouse farming.

Airports: South Carolina has a well-developed system of air transport, with international airports at Greenville-Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston. Regional airports exist at Augusta and Florence, and metropolitan airports at Columbia and Greenville.

Seaports: The South Carolina Ports Authority operates the ports of Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown, and Greer, with the Port of Charleston being one of the largest on the East Coas

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Henry McMaster (Republican)
• Present constitution date: 1895
• Electoral votes: 9
• Number of counties: 46
• Violent crime rate: 530.7 (per 100,000 residents)
• Death penalty: Yes

Constitution: South Carolina has had five constitutions during its history as a state. (As a colony, South Carolina was governed—at least in name—by the feudalistic Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, written in 1669 by English scholar John Locke.) The current state constitution was adopted in 1895, but has been extensively amended since that time, especially during the 1970s. As originally passed in 1895, the constitution reflects Populists' efforts to limit governmental authority and prevent African Americans from voting or holding office. The four previous state constitutions were adopted in 1776, 1778, 1790, and 1868.

Branches of Government

Executive: South Carolina's chief executive is the governor, who is in charge of carrying out the laws of the state. The governor oversees the heads of the various executive departments, who make up the cabinet. The lieutenant governor assists the governor as necessary, as well as serving as governor in case of the incumbent's incapacity. Other offices defined under the state constitution are the secretary of state, the treasurer, the attorney general, the comptroller general, the state superintendent of education, the commissioner of agriculture, the director of the department of insurance, and the adjutant general (in charge of state military forces). All constitutional officials are elected to four-year terms and may serve two terms in succession.

Legislative: The South Carolina General Assembly is a bicameral body, one consisting of two houses. The upper house, the state senate, has 46 members. The lower house, the House of Representatives, has 124 members.

Judicial: The South Carolina Judicial Department consists of the State Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, an Administrative Law Judge Division, and trial courts. The Supreme Court, which possesses original and appellate jurisdiction, has five members—a chief justice and four associate justices. All members of the high court are elected by the general assembly to ten-year terms, and may be reelected any number of times.

The Court of Appeals, created in 1983, hears most appeals from the circuit and family courts. This court, whose members are elected by the general assembly to six-year terms, includes a chief judge and eight associate judges. The administrative law judge division handles ethics cases involving state agencies.

South Carolina has numerous kinds of trial courts. These include circuit courts, family courts, probate courts, masters-in-equity, and magistrates courts. The circuit courts are the courts of general jurisdiction for civil and criminal cases. Family courts handle issues of family law, such as divorce and separation proceedings. Probate courts handle matters including wills, guardianship of minors, and marriage licenses. Masters-in-equity handle cases referred to them by the circuit courts. The state's three hundred or so magistrates are appointed to serve in a specific county for a four-year term. They conduct many criminal and civil trials which involve lesser offenses.

HISTORY

1521 Spanish explorer Francisco de Gordillo investigates the South Carolina coast.

1562 Jean Ribaut, a French explorer, briefly establishes a Huguenot colony on Parris Island in Port Royal Sound.

1566 Spain establishes a settlement at Santa Elena, on Parris Island in Port Royal Sound. The city serves as the provincial capital of Spanish Florida and is the first permanent European settlement in the Carolinas. The colony lasts until 1587, when the Spanish remove to the town of St. Augustine, Florida. This ends European settlement of the region until the English settle at Albermarle Point in 1670.

1629 King Charles I of England grants the territory later known as Carolina (in his honor) to his supporter Robert Heath. The colonial charter covers a region between latitudes 36 and 31 degrees North. Heath eventually forfeits his charter because he makes no settlements there.

1663 King Charles II of England grants a proprietary charter in "Carolina" to eight of his supporters, who had helped him regain his throne. To these "Lords Proprietors," the King grants title to the lands between Virginia and the coast of Florida. Charles names the province "Carolina" in honor of his father, King Charles I. (The Latin for Charles is "Carolus.")

1663–1729 Carolina is a proprietary colony, under the control of the Lords Proprietors and their heirs.

1669 Political theorist John Locke writes the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, a document which serves as the basis for Carolina's colonial government.

1691 The northern and southern parts of the colony become known as North and South Carolina.

1692–1712 North and South Carolina are governed as a single unit, but the emphasis is on the southern colony. The proprietary governor lives at Charleston, South Carolina, while North Carolina is administered by a deputy governor. The northern colony retains its own legislative assembly and council.

1670 English settlers establish a community at Albemarle Point on the Ashley River, near the site of present-day Charleston. This is the first permanent English settlement in South Carolina.

1680 Colonists establish Charleston, which becomes the new colonial capital.

1715–16 The Yemassee War. Because of mistreatment by English traders, the Yemassee tribe rises up against the European colonists and kill approximately one hundred people. American Indians living in the colony, however, suffer heavy losses. By the middle of the eighteenth century, most of the colony's smaller tribes have become extinct.

1729 Carolina becomes a royal colony when seven of the Lords Proprietors sell their interests to the Crown. The eighth proprietor, John Carteret, Lord Granville, maintains his economic interest (including the ability to make land grants). His family keeps possession of the "Granville Tract" until the Revolutionary War. The Crown, however, keeps all political power in Carolina.

1730 North and South Carolina, which have had separate governors since 1712, become separate royal colonies.

1733James Edward Oglethorpe founds Georgia, last of the thirteen original American colonies. This helps form a buffer between South Carolina and the Spanish colonies in Florida.

1736 The Dock Street Theatre opens in Charleston. It is one of the first theaters in the British colonies.

1775–83 The American Revolution. More battles took place in South Carolina than in any other. The Battle of Sullivan's Island (June 28, 1776), at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, is the site of the Patriots' first major victory. Other important battles include Camden, Cowpens, Kings Mountain (1780). The British occupy Charleston from 1780 to 1782. The Battle of Kings Mountain, fought on October 7, 1780, represents a major Patriot victory. A second major Patriot victory comes at Cowpens on January 17, 1781. These defeats for Lord Cornwallis force the British general to end his march into North Carolina; and also end Carolina Loyalists' support for the British.

1788 South Carolina legislature joins the Union as the eighth state, after ratifying the Constitution on May 23.

1790 The capital is moved from Charleston to Columbia. That same year, the College of Charleston is founded.

1791 President George Washington makes an official tour of the South, including a stay in Charleston.

1793 Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin, a machine able to remove the seeds from cotton plants more quickly than a human worker could. This invention revolutionizes Southern states' economies by making cotton a major cash crop. Cotton growing is labor intensive, a fact which unfortunately makes slavery profitable again.

1799 The state removes the last troops from Oconee Station, located in the foothills of the Appalachians. Constructed around 1792, the fort served to protect White settlers from American Indians.

1828 Congress passes the "Tariff of Abominations," which creates a movement for Southern secession. Many Southerners believe the tariff, which places high duties on Southern exports, is part of the North's attempt to destroy Southern power and property. US senator John C. Calhoun begins to develop his theory of nullification—the idea that a state can nullify or make void any federal legislation which would hurt the state's interests.

1830 Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, which requires all Eastern tribes to move westward to reservation lands. President Andrew Jackson strongly supports the measure, and resists efforts to allow the tribes to remain in the East.

1832–33 The Nullification Crisis. The crisis breaks out when Congress passes a tariff even higher than the 1828 "Tariff of Abominations." US Senator John C. Calhoun leaves the Senate and calls for a state convention in South Carolina. The convention passes the "Ordinance of Nullification," which declares the tariff laws void in South Carolina. President Andrew Jackson threatens to use force to enforce the laws, but encourages a compromise. Congress passes a revised tariff bill, and in 1833 the South Carolina state convention rescinds the Ordinance of Nullification. It also, however, nullifies President Jackson's force bill. The nullification issue is forcibly settled three decades later, in the Civil War.

1837 The College of Charleston becomes the nation's first college run by a municipality.

1838 The federal government forces approximately sixteen thousand Cherokee to leave South Carolina and move to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). About two thousand of Cherokees die on the march, known as the "Trail of Tears."

1843 The Citadel, a military academy chartered the previous year by the state, opens in Charleston. Many cadets go on to serve as Confederate officers in the Civil War.

1860 On December 20, South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union.

1861–65 The Civil War. The war begins at Fort Sumter, a Union-held outpost in Charlestown Harbor. On April 12, South Carolina troops fire on the fort, leading to the outbreak of hostilities. On February 17, 1864, the Confederate Navy deploys the world's first successful submarine, the CSS H. L. Hunley. The underwater vessel rams and sinks the Union sloop USS Housatonic, making the first submarine to sink an enemy ship. The Hunley is lost that same night; its remains are discovered in 1995 near Charleston Harbor.

1877Reconstruction ends in South Carolina, and federal troops are withdrawn. This begins the "Bourbon period" of White conservative rule. This era lasts until 1889, under figures such as Governor Wade Hampton, a Civil War hero.

1890 The Populists gain control of South Carolina's government, representing the interests of the small backcountry farmers. African Americans, however, suffer increasing political liabilities and discriminatory Jim Crow legislation.

1901 The US Navy establishes a large Navy Yard at Charleston.

1914–18 World War I. South Carolina industry booms due to the need for war materiel. Many northerners begin investing in South Carolina's textile industry. During the war, Governor Richard I. Manning enacts many progressive labor measures, including child-labor regulations.

1920s–30s Many African Americans leave South Carolina and head northward, to escape the state's racial oppression and to find better economic conditions. By 1930, the state has a majority White population.

1941–45 World War II. The demand for war materiel helps South Carolina's economy emerge from the Great Depression. Senator James F. Byrnes of South Carolina serves in several crucial posts in the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, including director of economic stabilization (1942), director of war mobilization (1943), and secretary of state (1945–1947).

1948 South Carolina legislator Strom Thurmond runs unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination. He runs on the States Rights Democratic or "Dixiecrat" ticket—Southern Democrats who are opposed to civil rights legislation.

1962 The South Carolina legislature starts flying the Confederate battle flag atop the statehouse. This action begins years of protests and boycotts of South Carolina by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

1968 State police shoot three Black protestors at Orangeburg. This is the state's most serious incident of civil rights violence during the 1960s.

1977 The first annual Spoleto USA music and arts festival takes place in Charleston.

1989Hurricane Hugo hits the Carolina coast, causing tremendous damage and forcing many people to leave their homes.

1993 The Catawba tribe receives federal recognition.

1995 Researchers discover the remains of the Confederate submarine CSS Hunley near Charleston Harbor.

1996 The Citadel votes to admit female cadets after the US Supreme Court rules that the Virginia Military Institute must admit women as students.

2000 In January, State Senator Arthur Ravenel begins a national controversy when he defends the Confederate battle flag over the statehouse. He makes insulting remarks about the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The incident plays a role in the state's February presidential primaries: Democratic candidates call for the flag to come down, while Republican candidates call the issue a state matter. In April, the state senate finally passes legislation to remove the flag from the statehouse, but to continue flying a modified version above a Confederate monument on the Capitol grounds.

2009 The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sports league moves three future baseball tournaments out of South Carolina over a dispute related to the display and flying of the Confederate flag on state capitol grounds.

2015 In June 2015, a racially motivated shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston leaves nine African Americans dead, including a state senator. This incident reignites the debate over the display of the Confederate flag because images of the suspect show him standing in front of and holding the symbol. By July, the legislature votes to remove the Confederate flag from all state government property.

2017 The state-owned utility Santee Cooper abruptly suspends construction of two nuclear reactors near Columbia, South Carolina, spurring a government investigation into why the $9 million project was left unfinished.

2018 On Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating emancipation, the city of Charleston issues a formal apology for its role in the US slave trade.

2022 After causing severe damage in Florida, Hurricane Ian makes landfall in South Carolina as a category 1 hurricane.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Aziz Ansari, 1983– (Columbia) , Actor, screenwriter, and comedian.

Bernard M. Baruch, 1870–1965 (Camden) , Financier; Statesman.

Mary McLeod Bethune, 1875–1955 (Mayesville) , African American educator; Civil rights and women's rights advocate.

James Brown, 1933–2003 (Barnwell) , Singer-songwriter, musician, and activist.

James F. Byrnes, 1879–1972 (Charleston) , Statesman; US Supreme Court justice.

John Caldwell Calhoun, 1782–1850 (near Abbeville) , US Senator; Vice President of the United States; Political theorist.

Chubby Checker [Ernest Evans], 1941– (Spring Gulley) , Entertainer.

Mary Chesnut, 1823–86 (near Camden) , Diarist of life during Civil War.

Septima Poinsette Clark, 1898–1987 (Charleston) , Civil rights activist; educator; founder of Citizenship Schools.

Marian Wright Edelman, 1939– (Bennettsville) , Civil rights activist; lawyer; founder of Children's Defense Fund.

Joe Frazier, 1944–2011 (Beaufort) , Boxer.

Arthur Freed, 1894–1973 (Charleston) , Movie-musical producer; film composer.

Dizzy Gillespie, 1917–93 (Cheraw) , Jazz trumpeter; composer.

Althea Gibson, 1927–2003 (Silver) , Tennis player.

Nikki Haley, 1972– (Bamberg) , Indian American politician; Governor; US ambassador to the United Nations

Wade Hampton, 1818–1902 (Charleston) , Confederate general; Governor; US Senator.

DuBose Heyward, 1885–1940 (Charleston) , Author.

Jesse Jackson, 1941– (Greenville) , Civil rights leader and ordained minister.

Eartha Kitt, 1927–2008 (St. Matthews) , Singer; actor.

Francis Marion (The Swamp Fox), ca. 1732–95 (near Georgetown) , Revolutionary War guerrilla leader.

Ronald McNair, 1950–86 (Lake City) , Astronaut; Killed in Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.

William A. Moffett, 1869–1933 (Charleston) , Admiral; Naval Aviation pioneer.

Charles Pinckney, 1758–1824 (Charleston) , Revolutionary War leader; US Senator; Diplomat.

Robert Barnwell Rhett, 1800–1876 (Beaufort) , Politician; Secessionist leader.

Eugene H. Robinson, 1954– (Orangeburg) , Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist.

Chris Rock, 1965– (Andrews) , Actor, director, producer, and comedian.

Darius Rucker, 1966– (Charleston) , Singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist for Hootie and the Blowfish.

Edward Rutledge, 1749–1800 (Charleston) , Signer of the Declaration of Independence; Governor.

John Rutledge, 1739–1800 (Charleston) , Revolutionary War leader; Governor; Judge.

Robert Smalls, 1839–1915 (Beaufort) , Brigadier general and state politician.

Strom Thurmond, 1902–2003 (Edgefield) , US Senator.

Benjamin "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman, 1847–1918 (Ropers) , Governor; US Senator.

Jean Hoefer Toal, 1943– (Columbia) , South Carolina Supreme Court chief justice.

Vanna White, 1957– (Conway) , Television personality.

TRIVIA

• Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor was the scene of the first shooting in the Civil War. The first shot was fired on the fort on April 12, 1861.
• Charleston is home to several theatrical "firsts" in US history. In 1735, Charleston was the venue for the first opera performed in America. The following year, the Dock Street Theater was built—the first building in North America used only for theatrical purposes.
• Senator Strom Thurmond, who served in the US Senate from 1954 to 2002, turned one hundred years old on December 5, 2002, making him the oldest person ever to serve in the Senate. Thurmond was also the first senator elected by write-in vote, in November 1954.
• Charleston established North America's first free library in 1698 and the first public museum in 1773.
• The College of Charleston, which opened in April 1838, was the United States' first municipal college, i.e., one established by a city.
• Many African Americans on St. Helena Island, off the coast of South Carolina, speak a language called Gullah, a mixture of English and African words. Because of the island's relative isolation, the inhabitants have maintained many African traditions.
• The state reptile is the loggerhead turtle.
• South Carolina had the third-highest numbers of shark attacks between 2007 and 2016, after Florida and Hawaii.
• When Nikki Haley was elected governor of South Carolina in 2010, she became the first Indian American woman to be elected to that position in the United States.

Bibliography

"Cargo Value." South Carolina Ports, South Carolina Ports Authority, 2022, scspa.com/about/statistics/cargo-value/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.

Edgar, Walter. South Carolina: A History. U of South Carolina P, 1998.

Felder, James L. Civil Rights in South Carolina: From Peaceful Protests to Groundbreaking Rulings. History P, 2012.

"Research and Reports." Discover South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, 2022, www.scprt.com/research. Accessed 17 Oct. 2022.

Sinha, Manisha. The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina. U of North Carolina P, 2000.

"South Carolina State Profile and Energy Estimates: Profile Overview." US Energy Information Administration, 19 Jan. 2023, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=SC. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

"South Carolina." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/SC/PST045221. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

"South Carolina: 2020 Census." US Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/south-carolina-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.

"State BEARFACTS." Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Dept. of Commerce, 31 Mar. 2023, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 21 Sept. 2023.

Eric Badertscher