The earliest date of human habitation in what would later become South Carolina is disputed. Since the 1930s, the prevailing theory concerning the See more

Prior to the American Revolution, the British began taxing American colonies to raise revenue. Residents of South Carolina were outraged by the Townsend Acts that taxed tea, paper, wine, glass, and oil. To protest the Stamp Act, South Carolina sent the … See more

Prewar tensions
Few white South Carolinians considered abolition of slavery as an option. Having lived as a minority … See more

The Democrats were led by General Wade Hampton III and other former Confederate veterans who espoused a return to the policies of the antebellum period. Known as the Conservatives, or the Bourbons, they favored a minimalist approach by the government and a … See more

By the end of the 16th century, the Spanish and French had left the area of South Carolina after several reconnaissance … See more

South Carolina led opposition to national law during the Nullification Crisis. It was the first state to declare its secession in 1860 in response to the election of Abraham Lincoln. … See more

African Americans had long composed the majority of the state's population. However, in 1860, only 2 percent of the state's black … See more