About South Carolina | South Carolina History | South Carolina Attractions

South Carolina is one of the original states of the United States of America, and its history has been a struggle for political independence, whether from overseas or federal control. There was discontent with the Lords Proprietors from the earliest years of the colony, which erupted into a general overthrow after the Yamasee War of 1715-1717. In 1719 the colony was officially made a crown colony, although the Lords Proprietors held their rights until 1729, when the separation of the two Carolina colonies was made.

South Carolina declared independence from Great Britain on March 15, 1776. Many of the battles fought in South Carolina during the American Revolution were with loyalist Carolinians and the Cherokee tribe which had allied itself with the British. General Henry Clinton alienated loyalists and enraged Patriots by attacking and nearly annihilating a fleeing army of Patriot soldiers that posed no threat. On October 7, 1780, at Kings Mountain, the American General Pickens led a body of North and South Carolinians against Major Patrick Ferguson and his body of loyalists on a hilltop. This was a major victory for the patriots and is considered to be the turning point in the southern campaigns since it forced General Cornwallis to split his troops, making his plan for a major push north impossible.

On December 20, 1860, after the election of President Abraham Lincoln was apparent, South Carolinians in Charleston voted to secede from the Union. President James Buchanan declared the secession illegal but did not act to stop it. Six days later Major Robert Anderson withdrew his men, against orders, into the island fortress of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. South Carolina militia occupied the mainland batteries and trained their guns on the island. About 6,000 men were stationed around the rim of the harbor, ready to take on the 60 men in Fort Sumter. At 4:30 a.m. on April 12, after two days of intense negotiations, the firing began. The decision was made by President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. Thirty-four hours later, Anderson's men raised the white flag and were allowed to leave the Fort with colors flying and drums beating.

The South was at a disadvantage in number, weaponry, and sailors. Federal ships sailed south and blockaded one port after another. As early as November, Union troops occupied the Sea Islands in the Beaufort area, establishing an important base for the men and ships who would blockade the ports at Charleston and Savannah. Despite South Carolina's important role in the start of the war, few military engagements occurred within the state's borders until 1865, when Sherman's Army, having already completed its march to the Sea in Savannah, marched to Columbia, then north into North Carolina. Sherman's 1865 march through the Carolinas resulted in the burning of Columbia and numerous other towns.

The Intracoastal Waterway was opened to private craft and commercial shipping in 1936, and Myrtle Beach was incorporated in 1938. The Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was established in the 1940s and used for coastal patrols during World War II. It has been converted to a civilian airport since the war ended. The 1954 hurricane Hazel destroyed many of the older buildings and uprooted trees, making room for the construction of newer and larger resorts and homes.