South Carolina Interesting History

South Carolina was one of the wealthiest of the American Colonies. I saw a display in the Visitor Education Center for Fort Sumter that said that at one point in our history nine of the ten wealthiest families in America were from South Carolina. I cannot remember what year it said, maybe 1760.

Wealth in South Carolina was originally from rice and indigo. Cotton came later. All were based on slave labor. The descendants of the African slaves in the Lowcountry (i.e., coastal) regions of South Carolina and Georgia are known as the Gullah (aka Geechee or Gullah/Geechee). One of their traditions is weaving sweetgrass baskets. Many vendors were selling sweetgrass baskets at the Charleston City Market near our hotel.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the United States of America in 1860 (see my earlier post on Fort Sumter), but its independent spirit dates from Colonial times. On March 26, 1776 – more than three months before the Declaration of Independence – South Carolina adopted its own government and constitution to be effective "until an accommodation of the differences between Great Britain and America shall take place" (source, article XXXIII).

The first major engagements in the American Revolution were in the northern colonies, beginning in 1775 with Lexington and Concord on April 19 and the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17. The following year, however, saw an important engagement in the south. On June 28, 1776 the British attempted to invade Charleston, but were repulsed by a force led by Colonel William Moultrie at Fort Sullivan. The partially completed fort, made of sand and palmetto logs, absorbed the British cannon fire with little damage. Return fire from the fort inflicted significant damage on the British fleet, which withdrew. A few days later, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Shortly after the battle, known as the Battle of Sullivan's Island, Fort Sullivan was renamed Fort Moultrie in honor of Colonel Moultrie. South Carolina's nickname (the Palmetto State) and the South Carolina flag reflect this battle. The British did not return to Charleston until 1780, when they succeeded in capturing the city. Later, following the War of 1812, Fort Sumter was constructed to provide the primary defense of Charleston. Today both Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie are part of the Fort Sumter National Monument.

The Second Continental Congress authorized creation of the Continental Navy in October 1775 and the Continental Marines in November 1775. Christopher Gadsden was a representative to the Continental Congress from South Carolina, a notable member of the Sons of Liberty, and later a brigadier general in the Continental Army. He designed the Gadsden Flag, shown above, that was used by the Continental Marines.