50 States: South Carolina

SOUTH CAROLINA

Our nation's 8th state is South Carolina (SC). It became a state on May 23, 1788. With an area of roughly 30,000 square miles, South Carolina is the 40th biggest state.

Originally inhabited by Native American tribes such as the Cherokee and Catawba, the colony of Carolina was divided in 1710 into North Carolina and South Carolina. When it was discovered that rice and indigo grew well in this area, it was quickly inhabited by Europeans who built large plantations, which were worked by African slaves. During the American Revolution, more battles were fought here than in any other state. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. The Civil War would begin almost four months later. South Carolina was devastated by the Civil War and would spend years reconstructing their economy and infrastructure. The southern plantation lifestyle ended with the emancipation of the slaves. Today, South Carolina's economy is driven by several different industries such as aerospace, alternative energy, automotive, biotechnology, distribution, food processing, wood products, chemicals, and tourism.

The capital and largest city in SC is Columbia. It is home to the Riverbanks Zoo.

People who live in South Carolina are called South Carolinians. Some famous people born here included:

James Brown...dancer/singer

Chubby Chucker...singer

Tyler Florence...chef

Joe Frazier...boxer

Arthur Freed...producer/songwriter

Dizzy Gillespie...trumpet player/songwriter

Andrew Jackson...US President

Shoeless Joe Jackson...baseball player

James Longstreet...general

Charles Pinckney...founding father

Darius Rucker...singer

Vanna White...game show host

Today, there are nearly 4.8 million people who live in this state, making it the 24th most populous.

The state's nickname is the "Palmetto State." The palmetto palm is depicted on the South Carolina state flag along with a crescent moon. This particular tree was chosen because trunks of the palmetto palm were used to create a fort during the Revolutionary War which simply absorbed cannonballs instead of being knocked down. The flag was adopted in 1861.

The state's motto is "Dum Spiro Spero," which means "While I breathe, I hope." Other state symbols are:

Bird...Carolina wren

Game bird...Wild turkey

Animal...Whitetail deer

Butterfly...Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly

Insect...Carolina Mantid

Fish...striped bass

Dog...Boykin spaniel

Reptile...Loggerhead turtle

Spider...Carolina wolf spider

Amphibian...Spotted salamander

Flower...Yellow Jessamine

Tree...Sabal palmetto

Beverage...Milk

Hospitality Beverage...Tea

Fruit...Peach

(Despite Georgia being the Peach State, SC is the leading producer in the US.)

South Carolina has more state symbols, including a state dance and state gemstone. They must have had fun coming up with so many different ones.

So, what is there to do in South Carolina besides visit the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia? Well, you can take a tour boat over to Fort Sumter, the site of the first shots fired in the Civil War. You can also visit Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant, a maritime museum in Charleston Harbor, and tour the USS Yorktown. Boone Hall and Plantation is also in Mt. Pleasant. Another plantation is Drayton Hall in Charleston.

An extremely popular tourist destination in South Carolina is Myrtle Beach. There are large shopping centers, amusement parks and water parks, and the Myrtle Beach Skywheel. View a list of activities including beach activities, water sports, and amusements.

South Carolina also has a lot of nature to explore. My cousin, Paul, has taken some beautiful photographs of South Carolina. His waterfall pictures are simply breathtaking. Check them out!

Lake Murray has had sightings of a creature like the Loch Ness Monster since 1933. Do you think it could be real?

Play some South Carolina learning games and test your knowledge of this state.

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It Happened in South Carolina By Globe Pequot

A Primary Source History of the Colony of South Carolina - Unabridged Audiobook on CD By Heather Hasan & Eileen Stevens / Brilliance Audio Learn all about the colony of South Carolina, which was built on entrepreneurship as well as religious and political freedoms. This compelling book provides the background and history of this colony, which would later become a major factor in the French and Indian War, the American Revolutionary War, and the Civil War. Unabridged audio CD; approximately 1 hour 3 minutes; 1 CD.

South Carolina Fab Facts Fast Card Game By Carole Marsh & Sherry Moss(Editor) / Gallopade International

South Carolina Geography Project Book, Grades 3-8 By Carole Marsh / Gallopade International Geography projects include: building a "state tree" with leaves from as many types of trees as possible, recreating the path of a state river using a wire coat hanger, and more.

More than Petticoats: Remarkable South Carolina Women By Globe Pequot

Churches of Charleston and the Lowcountry By George C. Rogers, Preservation Society of Charleston & Preservation Society of Charleston / University of South Carolina Press

Daily Devotions for Die-Hard Fans: South Carolina Gamecocks By Ed McMinn / Extra Point Publishers Daily Devotions for Die-Hard Fans: South Carolina Gamecocks combines the great passion of the Gamecock fan with the great passion of the fan of Christ into one set of devotions.

The Mystery at Fort Sumter: First Shot Fired in the Civil War! By Carole Marsh / Gallopade International Set in major American locations and using real kids as characters, this popular nation-wide series integrates history and state lore into fascinating mysteries! Christina, Grant, Mini, and Papa go to Charleston, South Carolina, in search of missing (and dead!) Aunt Lulu. There they learn about Fort Sumter and the first shots fired in the Civil war as they solve a mystery during a rare winter blizzard! 158 pages, softcover.

The Civil War: A Narrative: Volume 1: Fort Sumter to Perryville - eBook By Shelby Foote, Dostoyevsky / Vintage

A Yankee Girl at Fort Sumter By Alice Turner Curtis / Applewood Books This is the story of Sylvia, a little girl from Boston, and her adventures in Charleston, South Carolina, just before the start of the Civil War.

Historic North American Forts Coloring Book By Peter F. Copeland / Dover Publications Many of them are National Historic Sites today, but in their time these forts were among the first footsteps of a westward-bound society. Illustrations of 44 historic forts range from sites in the northernmost reaches of the United States and Canada to El Morro, Puerto Rico's sixteenth-century citadel. Detailed captions accompany scenes from Fort McHenry, Fort Jamestown, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Sumter, Plymouth Fort, Fort Laramie, and many other strongholds.

The Longest Night A Military History of the Civil War By David J. Eicher / Simon & Schuster In this compelling new account of the American Civil War, noted historian David Eicher gives us an authoritative history of battle from the first shots at Fort Sumter to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. As a strictly military history, this book covers hundreds of engagements, both well known and obscure, including the oft-neglected Western theater and naval actions along the coasts and rivers. The result is a gripping popular history that will fascinate anyone just learning about the Civil War while offering more than a few surprises for longtime students.

The Unknown Civil War: Odd, Peculiar, & Unusual Stories From the War Between the States By Webb Garrison / Sourcebooks Webb Garrison demonstrates that a general review of the little-known stories of the American Civil War exposes a number of overlooked, unexamined aspects of the four-year conflict. Despite the vast amount of research by generations of scholars and the scrutiny to which the war has been subjected, there are many motives, accomplishments, and repercussions about which little is known. As a result, because so much has either been forgotten, overlooked, or left unknown, a sense of mystery and fascination still clings to the war. From Fort Sumter to Appomattox, and reaching as far back as 1784, Garrison shares the stories that still raise questions today: questions about slavery, political maneuvering, the commanders, the common soldiers, and the people who had to bear forty-eight months of war. All are parts of the unknown Civil War.

The Civil War: A Narrative - 3 Volumes By Shelby Foote / Random House, Inc Civil War is a narrative written by Shelby Foote, who, instead of inventing characters and incidents, searched them out and, having found them, took them as they were. Many books by military experts or profesional historians went into the making of these books. The most useful and largest one being the 128-volume War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Each of the three novels in this series is approximately 830 pages long. The first book is titled Fort Sumter to Perryville and covers the years from 1861 to 1862. Book two covers Fredericksburg to Meridian and the years 1862 to 1864. And the final novel in this series titled Red River to Appomattox covers 1864 to 1867.