INTRODUCTION Smiling Faces Beautiful Places is the motto on license plates in South Carolina and a state so rich in history and culture gives residents much to smile about As one of the original 13 colonies that formed the United States South Carolina has a long fascinating history South Carolina also is the location of many beautiful places A part of the Deep South the state has a varied landscape and a warm climate Its mountains and seashore attract many tourists In fact Myrtle Beach is one of the nation’s top vacation spots drawing millions of visitors annually One of South Carolina’s most visited historical attractions is Charleston’s Magnolia Plantation and Its Gardens It was founded more than 325 years ago Within its grounds are a tropical garden waterfowl refuge and wildlife preserve 4 SOUTH CAROLINA The popular Grand Strand is a 60-mile stretch of white-sand beach that runs along the South Carolina coast from Little River to Georgetown South Carolina is called the Palmetto State named for the distinctive tree that grows along the state’s coast The state flag is based on one created in 1775 during the American Revolution by Colonel William Moultrie for his troops His flag featured a crescent which represented the silver emblems on the soldiers caps Later a palmetto tree was added to the center of the flag to represent the brave defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan’s Island by Moultrie and his troops
INTRODUCTION 5 The state of South Carolina is shaped roughly like a triangle It is bordered by North Carolina to the north and northeast Georgia to the west and southwest and the Atlantic Ocean to the east and southeast Visitors can get to the state in a variety of ways but air travel is often the fastest mode of transportation South Carolina has four major airports the Charleston International Greenville Spartanburg International Columbia Metropolitan and Myrtle Beach International airports For automobile travelers South Carolina has about 64,000 miles of roads two thirds of which are maintained by the state There are limited options for mass transit Railroads provide freight service and also allow for passenger trains South Carolina Location Map Myrtle Beach International Airport is one of the state’s four main air hubs South Carolina is in the Eastern time zone The state observes daylight saving time from April to October The state motto Dum Spiro Spero means While I Breathe I Hope in Latin The Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the state’s largest airport covering some 2,600 acres South Carolina is one of the largest producers of peaches in the country Capital Columbia Interstate highways Population 4,012,012 Size 31,117 square miles 0 0 25 40 50 80 Mi Km Scale Highest peak Sassafras Mountain 3,560 feet
6 SOUTH CAROLINA The Battery area in Charleston is lined with grand historic houses that look out onto Fort Sumter South Carolina’s area of 31,117 square miles makes it the 11th smallest state in the nation Its total area includes some 1,000 square miles of inland water The state was the site of many battles during the American Revolution The English captured the city of Charleston in 1780 About one quarter of the 63,000 troops from South Carolina who fought in the American Civil War were killed during the war For much of its early history South Carolina was ruled by a wealthy colonial society English settlers established a colony in South Carolina in the late 1600s Many of the colonists owned plantations and grew crops such as rice and cotton They brought slaves over from Africa to work in the fields About a century later the 13 colonies broke free from British rule and formed the independent United States In the mid-1800s a dispute between the Northern and Southern states arose over the issue of slavery While much of the North opposed slavery the South wanted to keep its slaves and plantation culture On Dec 20 1860 South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union It became part of the rebellious Confederate States of America The American Civil War began on April 12 1861 when Confederate troops fired upon Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor During the war South Carolina’s coast was the site of much fighting When the Union formed a blockade of Charleston Harbor the economy of South Carolina crashed Then in 1865 Union troops destroyed many of the state’s plantations Union troops also burned Columbia the state capital After the war the state was readmitted to the Union It began to rebuild its economy New industries such as textiles helped pave the way to a brighter future Historical reenactments staged in traditional battle uniforms replay the battles that took place on South Carolina’s soil during the American Revolution
INTRODUCTION 7 Today buildings that date back to before the American Civil War can still be seen in such cities as Beaufort and Charleston Large plantations also still exist in parts of South Carolina The state’s beautiful gardens blooming with flowers such as magnolias are fragrant reminders of the natural landscape of colonial times in South Carolina Once based primarily on agriculture the economy of South Carolina gradually moved toward an industrial base Today manufacturing is one of the most significant industries in South Carolina However most South Carolinians work in the service sector which includes retail sales health care and government With its natural beauty and fascinating history the state also has a booming tourist industry South Carolina’s capital Columbia is the center of state government education and commerce It was named for the naval explorer Christopher Columbus The village of Murrells Inlet is nicknamed South Carolina’s Seafood Capital The capital of South Carolina is Columbia The city was chosen in 1786 because it was near the center of the state South Carolina’s Atlantic coastline is approximately 187 miles long But the state has 2,876 miles of coastline if all the bays inlets and islands are included South Carolina was the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution In the late 1920s South Carolina billed itself as The Iodine State The state was promoting the health benefits of crops grown in the state’s iodine-rich soil
