USA South Carolina - The History : USA  

USA South Carolina - The History - Travel guide

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USA South Carolina - The History

The History

Following exploration of the coast in 1521 by Francisco de Gordillo, the Spanish tried unsuccessfully to establish a colony near present-day Georgetown in 1526, and the French also failed to colonize Parris Island near Fort Royal in 1562.

In colonial days, the state was part of a vast region that Charles I, king of England, granted to Sir Robert Heath in 1629. The region was named Carolana, a word derived from the Latin form of Charles, in reference to the monarch. His son, Charles II, changed the spelling of the region's name to Carolina in 1663. During the 17th century the area now covered by the present state came to be called South Carolina and the area to the north became North Carolina.

The first English settlement was made in 1670 at Albemarle Point on the Ashley River, but poor conditions drove the settlers to the site of Charleston (originally called Charles Town). South Carolina, officially separated from North Carolina in 1729, was the scene of extensive military action during the Revolution and again during the Civil War. The Civil War began in 1861 as South Carolina troops fired on federal Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, and the state was the first to secede from the Union.

Points of interest include Fort Sumter National Monument, Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson, and aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in Charleston Harbor; the Middleton, Magnolia, and Cypress Gardens in Charleston; Cowpens National Battlefield; the Hilton Head resorts; and the Riverbanks 200 and Botanical Garden in Columbia.

Cotton was long the backbone of South Carolina's economy. Today, manufacturing is the state's largest employer, based largely on resources found in South Carolina. The most important products are textiles, chemicals, non-electrical machinery, apparel, and paper and pulp. A valuable forestry industry is supported by 12.2 million acres of woods. Agriculture and commercial fishing remain important. Tourism is another important industry, with many visitors attracted to the Myrtle Beach, Charleston and the sea islands.

South Carolina became the 8th State to Unite under America on May 23, 1788.