Great stories that embrace the history of the Palmetto State Homecourt Publishers Greenville, SC Great stories that embrace the history of the Palmetto State Copyright © 2009 by Homecourt Publishers All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews. Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes, both typographical and in content.
Therefore, this text should be used only as a guide and not as an ultimate source of research. Homecourt Publishers shall have neither the liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused by the information contained in this book. For information or comments, contact: Homecourt Publishers 2435 East North St., #245 Greenville, SC 29615-1442 benbache@homecourtpublishers.com (864) 877-5123 Publishers Cataloguing-in-Publication Data South Carolina: Great stories that embrace the history of the palmetto state / by the research team.—Greenville, SC: Homecourt Publishers, 2009. ; cm Includes index ISBN: 0-9741017-4-5 1.
South Carolina—History F269.7—dc21 0501 Welcome to… Get to know South Carolina… Chapter 1 Geography & People 3 South Carolina Maps 4 South Carolina Fast Facts & Symbols 6 South Carolina at a Glance 8 A brief overview of South Carolina From Mountains to Oceans 10 South Carolina’s geographical regions Meet the People 12 An overview of South Carolinians A Taste of Carolina 14 Trademark foods of South Carolina Chapter 2 Exploration, Settlement, & Colonial Times 17 New Land up for Grabs 18 European nations compete for the Carolinas What Did They Find? 20 First impressions of SC to European settlers An English Colony 22 England lays claim to the Carolinas Meet the Natives 24 Native Americans of colonial South Carolina Huguenots Come to Town 26 French Protestants migrate to South Carolina Charles Town to Charleston 28 Founding the port city of Charleston The Slave Trade 30 South Carolina becomes dependent on slavery A New Ruler in Town 32 South Carolinians reject the Lord Proprietors Indian Wars 34 Tensions ignite the Yamasee & Cherokee wars A Town Called Ninety-Six 36 A trading post forms along the Cherokee Trail South Carolina Gets Rich 38 Rice and indigo crops create a wealthy colony Pirates of the Carolinas 40 Numerous pirates terrorize the SC coast The French and Indian War 42 European nations bring their fight to America An Artsy Town 44 Charleston becomes a center of high culture Chapter 3 The American Revolution & the New Nation 47 Tensions Rise 48 Extra taxes ignite Revolutionary tensions Time to Choose Sides 50 Loyalists and Patriots clash in South Carolina A Patriot Named Gadsden 52 Christopher Gadsden leads the Patriot cause The Middleton Boys 54 Three generations of Middletons hold office The Rutledge Brothers 56 John & Edward Rutledge guide the Revolution Two Thomas Jr.’s 58 Lynch & Heyward sign the Declaration for SC The Revolution Begins 60 The war quickly comes to South Carolina Defending Sullivan’s Island 62 Patriots make an early stand at Fort Sullivan A Great City Under Attack 64 The British launch a siege on Charleston A Disaster at Camden 66 The Battle of Camden ends in a major defeat The “Swamp Fox” 68 Marion uses rough terrain to fight the British Join the Militia 70 Militia troops help terrorize the British The Tables Turn 72 Battle of Kings Mountain lifts Patriot morale The Cherokee Choose Sides 74 Natives join the British during the Revolution Beyond the Call of Duty 76 Emily Geiger delivers a critical message Sacrificing for the Cause 78 Rebecca Motte helps Patriots destroy her home A Capital City 80 South Carolina forced to switch capital cities The Road to Statehood 82 The colonial governments of South Carolina A High Profile Prisoner 84 Henry Laurens sent to the Tower of London Hello Charles Pinckney 86 Four important men named Charles Pinckney Back to Real Life 88 Life begins again after the Revolution Revolutionary Pride 90 The legacy of the American Revolution in SC Chapter 4 The Antebellum Era 93 A Better Way 94 Invention of cotton gin revolutionizes the South A New College in Town 96 South Carolina focuses on education Who were they? 98 Classes of people living during the Antebellum The War Hawks 100 Calhoun crusades to fight in the War of 1812 The Vesey Plot 102 A major threat to the South’s slavery system Put the Cotton to Good Use 104 William Gregg establishes a textile mill Fighting the System 106 Abolitionists point out the wrongs of slavery The Poinsettia Flower 108 Joel Poinsett discovers a Mexican flower Let Us Decide 110 John Calhoun heads the Nullification fight Moving Right Along 112 South Carolina improves transportation Moving Out 114 South Carolina residents leave the state Protecting Slavery 116 The South fights for its way of life Fighting for Texas 118 Two South Carolinians fight at the Alamo Violence in Congress 120 Preston Brooks beats Sumner with a cane Making Soldiers 122 The Citadel founded as a military college Chapter 5 The Civil War & Reconstruction 125 States’ Rights 126 The central cause of the Civil War A State Divided 128 South Carolinians debate secession Standing Alone 130 James Louis Petigru supports the Union The War Begins 132 The first shots fired at Fort Sumter Meet the Opponents 134 Comparing the Union and Confederate Armies It’s all about Location 136 South Carolina’s geography and the Civil War Beginning of the End 138 Union forces capture Port Royal The Stranglehold 140 The Union launches a blockade on Charleston Path of Destruction 142 General Sherman marches through the South The Florence Stockade 144 Major POW prison constructed in Florence The Stumphouse Tunnel 146 The looming Civil War halts progress Mary Chestnut’s Diary 148 Mary Chestnut privately records the Civil War Beyond the Soldiers 150 The impact of the Civil War on civilians What’s in a Name? 152 Different names for the Civil War Complete Destruction 154 The state of South Carolina after the Civil War The Port Royal Experiment 156 Teachers brought in to teach the freed slaves Difference of Opinion 158 Two different plans for Reconstruction Starting all Over 160 South Carolina creates new constitutions An Uphill Battle 162 Ex-slaves try to adjust to a life of freedom Dirty Business 164 Corruption plagues Reconstruction politics Breaking the Color Barrier 166 James Webster Smith enrolls in West Point The Election of 1876 168 Chamberlain and Hampton hold nothing back Chapter 6 The Late 19th Century 171 Returning to Normal 172 South Carolina regroups after Reconstruction Back to Square One 174 Repression of African Americans begins again From Bad to Worse 176 The economy suffers after Reconstruction ends Helping the Little Man 178 Ben Tillman wins support of the small farmer Not all Bad 180 South Carolinians enjoy life away from politics Founding Clemson 182 Thomas Clemson sets up a college in his will The Textile Boom 184 South Carolina finally gets a hold on industry South Carolina on the Move 186 Population shifts throughout the state Beyond Human Control 188 Natural disasters plague Charleston Chapter 7 World War I, the Depression, & World War II 191 The Progressive Movement 192 South Carolina politicians tackle social issues Put Down the Bottle 194 Prohibition laws in South Carolina The Wilson Connection 196 Woodrow Wilson’s ties to South Carolina Changing Times 198 South Carolina holds on to its old ways The Great War 200 South Carolina’s involvement in World War I A Rough Homecoming 202 South Carolina adjusts after World War I Mary McLeod Bethune 204 Bethune dedicates her life to education The Roaring Twenties 206 A fast-paced decade full of change The Roar is Silenced 208 The Great Depression hits South Carolina The New Deal 210 Roosevelt promises to end the Great Depression Another World War 212 South Carolina’s efforts in World War II Away from the Battlefield 214 Civilian efforts during World War II Chapter 8 Modern Times 217 The Barnwell Ring 218 Powerful politicians stem from Barnwell County Strom Thurmond 220 A controversial South Carolina politician A Revived Economy 222 Industry continues to soar after World War II Great Place to Visit 224 Tourism thrives along South Carolina’s beaches Sumter and Francis Marion 226 The history of two national forests Jim Crow Rules the South 228 South Carolina refuses to budge on segregation The Civil Rights Movement 230 Organized protests help end segregation Educational Opportunities 232 Strengths and weaknesses of SC schools Start Your Engines 234 The history of the Darlington Speedway South of the Border 236 A tourist trap created at the NC and SC border The Savannah River Site 238 Controversial plant fabricates nuclear material A Country within a State 240 SC houses the Oyotunji African Village The Giant Peach 242 Gaffney’s famous “Peachoid” water tower The Hurricane is Coming! 244 Hurricane Hugo and others strike SC coast Running a State 246 The workings of SC’s state government The Catawba become official 248 South Carolina recognizes the Catawba Indians Football Country 250 The history of the Clemson – USC rivalry Operation Lost Trust 252 Scandal plagues the state government Today’s politics 254 Current politics in South Carolina Appendix South Carolina History Timeline 256 Famous South Carolinians 262 References & Suggested Reading 270 Index 272 “Smiling faces, beautiful places!” —Slogan seen on South Carolina license plates Chapter 1 The of 4—South Carolina South Carolina Maps Spartanburg (39,673 people) Greenville Rock Hill (56,002 people) (49,765 people) Florence Columbia (30,248 people) (116,278 people) Sumter (39,643 people) North Charleston (79,641 people) Mount Pleasant (47,609 people) Charleston (96,650 people) Hilton Head Island (33,862 people) South Carolina’s Ten Most Populated Cities (According to the 2000 census) Cherokee Greenville Spartan- burg York Pickens Oconee Union Marlboro Chester Lancaster Chesterfield Anderson Laurens Fairfield Dillon Kershaw Darlington Abbeville Newberry Lee Green- Marion wood Saluda Richland Florence Horry Lexington Sumter Edgefield McCormick Calhoun Georgetown Clarendon Williamsburg Aiken Orangeburg Barnwell Bamberg Berkeley Dor- chester Allendale Colleton Hampton Charleston Beaufort Jasper South Carolina Counties SC 5—People & Geography 26 85 Greenville 385 77 20 Florence Columbia 95 26 Charleston Major South Carolina Interstates Sumter National Saluda Forest River Catawba Sumter River National Forest Lake Pee Dee Columbia Marion River Lake Moultrie Strom Thurmond Lake Francis Edisto Marion Savannah Santee National River River River Forest South Carolina rivers, lakes, and national forests SC 6—South Carolina South Carolina Fast Facts & Symbols Statehood May 23, 1788 (8th state) Named After English King Charles I (Charles is “Carolus” in Latin) Nickname The Palmetto State Land Area 30,111 Square Miles (40th largest states) Population 4,012,012 (2000 Census) (26th most populated state) Highest Point Sassafras Mountain (3,560 ft.) Lowest Point Atlantic Ocean (sea level,187 mile coastline) Borders North Carolina (north) Georgia (west) Atlantic Ocean (east) State Bird Carolina Wren State Flower Yellow Jessamine State Tree Cabbage Palmetto State Stone Blue Granite SC 7—People & Geography State Gemstone Amethyst State Dance Shag State Animal Whitetail Deer State Dog Boykin Spaniel State Fish Striped Bass State Fruit Peach State Shell Lettered Olive State Reptile Loggerhead Sea Turtle State Butterfly Tiger Swallowtail State Insect Praying Mantis State Beverage Milk State Songs “Carolina” (words by Henry Timrod, music by Anne C. Burgess) “South Carolina on my Mind” (by Hank Martin & Buzz Alredge) State Mottos “Prepared in mind and resources.” “While I breathe, I hope.” SC 8—South Carolina South Carolina at a Glance A brief overview of South Carolina Where is South Carolina? Technically, the state is located from longitude 78° 30” W to 83° 20’ W, and latitude 32° 4’ 30” to 35° 12’ N. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean too much to the average person. It might be better to say that South Carolina is situated in the southeastern part of the United States.
