South Carolina

South Carolina is a  in the  of the. The was one of the  that declared independence from the British Crown during the. It was the first state to secede from the and was part of the. The state is named after King, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. According to 2005 estimates by the, the state's population is 4,321,249.

Geography


South Carolina is bounded to the north by ; to the south and west by, located across the ; and to the east by the.

South Carolina is composed of four geographic areas, whose boundaries roughly parallel the northeast/southwest Atlantic coastline. The lower part of the state is the Coastal Plain, also known as the Lowcountry, which is nearly flat and composed entirely of recent sediments such as sand, silt, and clay. Areas with better drainage make excellent farmland, though some land is swampy. The coastline contains many and, as well as natural ports such as  and Charleston. An unusual feature of the coastal plain is a large number of, the origins of which are uncertain, though one prominent theory suggests that they were created by a meteor shower. The bays tend to be oval, lining up in a northwest to southeast orientation.

Just west of the coastal plain is the  region, which is thought to contain remnants of old coastal dunes from a time when the land was sunken or the oceans were higher.

The  (Upstate) region contains the roots of an ancient, eroded mountain chain. It tends to be hilly, with thin, stony clay soils, and contains few areas suitable for farming. Much of the Piedmont was once farmed, with little success. It is now reforested. At the southeastern edge of the Piedmont is the , where rivers drop to the coastal plain. The fall line was an important early source of water power. Mills built to harness this resource encouraged the growth of several cities, including the capital,. The larger rivers are navigable up to the fall line, providing a trade route for mill towns.

The northwestern part of the Piedmont is also known as the Foothills. The is a scenic driving route through this area. This is where is located.

Highest in elevation is the Upstate, containing an escarpment of the, which continue into North Carolina and Georgia, as part of the southern chain. , South Carolina's highest point at 3,560 (1,085 ) is located in this area. Also located in the Upcountry is and. The, located on the border between South Carolina and , is a favorite destination.

Areas under the management of the include:
 * at
 * in
 * near ,
 * at
 * in
 * at
 * in

See: .

Climate
South Carolina has a ( Cfa), although high elevation areas in the "Upstate" area have less subtropical characteristics than areas on the Atlantic coastline. In the summer, South Carolina is hot and humid with daytime temperatures averaging between 86-92 °F (30-33 °C) in most of the state and overnight lows over 70 °F (21 °C) on the coast and in the high 60s°F (near 20 °C) further inland. Winter temperatures are much less uniform in South Carolina. Coastal areas of the state have very mild winters with high temperatures approaching an average of 60 °F (16 °C) and overnight lows in the 40s°F (5-8 °C). Further inland in the higher country, the average January overnight low can be below freezing. While precipitation is abundant the entire year in almost the entire state, near the coast tends to have a slightly wetter summer, while inland March tends to be the wettest month.

Snowfall in South Carolina is not very excessive with coastal areas receiving less than an inch (2.5 cm) on average. It isn't uncommon for areas on the coast (especially the southern coast) to receive no recordable snowfall in a given year, although it usually receives at least a small dusting of snow annually. The interior receives a little more snow, although nowhere in the state averages more than 6 inches (15 cm) of snow a year.

The state is prone to. This is an annual concern during hurricane season, which is from June-November. The peak time of vulnerability for the southeast Atlantic coast is from early August to early October when the hurricane season lasts. South Carolina averages around 50 days of activity a year, which is less than some of the states further south, and it is slightly less vulnerable to  than the states which border on the Gulf of Mexico. Still, some notable tornadoes have struck South Carolina and the state averages around 14 tornadoes annually.

History
The colony of Carolina was settled by settlers, mostly from, sent by the  in , followed by. Most immigrants in the colonial period were, who constituted a majority of the colony's population throughout the period. The Carolina upcountry was settled largely by  from  and, following the. The formal colony of "The Carolinas" split into two in 1712. South Carolina became a royal colony in 1729. The state declared its independence from Great Britain and set up its own government on,. On, , South Carolina became the first state to ratify the first constitution of the United States - the. The current was proposed for adoption by the States on, , and South Carolina was the 8th state to ratify it, on ,.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the on,. On, , Confederate batteries began shelling Fort Sumter and the began. Charleston was effectively blockaded and the Union Navy seized the, driving off the plantation owners and setting up an experiment in freedom for the ex-slaves. South Carolina troops participated in the major Confederate campaigns, but no major battles were fought inland. General marched through the state in early 1865, destroying numerous plantations, and captured the state capital of  on. Fires began that night and by next morning, most of the central city was destroyed.

After the war, South Carolina was reincorporated into the United States during. Under presidential Reconstruction (1865-66) Freedmen (former slaves) were given limited rights. Under Radical reconstruction (1867-1877), a Republican coalition of Freedmen, and  were in control, supported by Union army forces. The withdrawal of Union soldiers as part of the ended Reconstruction and brought an era where conservative white "" and pro-business  were in control. The state became a hotbed of racial and economic tensions during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the 1890s. Blacks were disfranchised in 1890, and controlled state politics from the 1890s to 1910 with a base among poor white farmers.

20th century
In the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry. By 2007, textile employment had dropped significantly. The state also converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.

Demographics


South Carolina's is located in, in the city of.

According to the, as of 2005, South Carolina has an estimated population of 4,255,083, which is an increase of 57,191, or 1.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 243,267, or 6.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 97,715 people (that is 295,425 births minus 197,710 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 151,485 people into the state. from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 36,401 people, and within the country produced a net increase of 115,084 people.

The five largest ancestry groups in South Carolina are (29.5%),  (13.9%),  (8.4%),  (8.4%) and  (7.9%). For most of South Carolina's history,, and then their descendants, made up a majority of the state's population. Whites became a majority in the early 20th century, when tens of thousands of blacks moved north in the. Most of the African-American population lives in the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and the Midlands; areas where, , and plantations once dominated the landscape. 6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5 years old, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older.

Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population in 2000.

Religion
South Carolina, like most other Southern states, is overwhelmingly Protestant Christian, and has a significantly lower percentage of non-religious people than the national average. The religious affiliations of the people of South Carolina are as follows:
 * – 92%
 * – 84%
 * – 45%
 * – 15%
 * – 5%
 * Other Protestant – 19%
 * – 7%
 * Other Christian – 1%
 * Other Religions – 1%
 * Non-Religious – 7%

Interestingly, have over a 300 year history in South Carolina  , especially in and around Charleston. South Carolina had, until around 1830, the largest colony of Jews in North America.

Economy
As of 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, South Carolina’s gross state product was $136 billion. As of 2000, the per capita income was $24,000, which was 81% of the national average.

Major agricultural outputs of the state are: tobacco, poultry, cattle, dairy products, soybeans, and hogs. Industrial outputs include: textile goods, chemical products, paper products, machinery, and tourism.

The state is 6% for non-grocery goods and 3% for grocery goods. Counties have the option to impose an additional 2% sales tax. Citizens 85 or older get a one-percent exclusion from the state's sales tax. is administered and collected by local governments with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Both and  are subject to tax. Approximately two-thirds of county-levied property taxes are used for the support of public education. The passage of a recent state law will replace local property tax funding of education with a statewide 1% sales tax increase. Sales tax on groceries has been reduced to 3%. Municipalities levy a tax on property situated within the limits of the municipality for services provided by the municipality. The tax is paid by individuals, corporations and partnerships owning property within the state. South Carolina imposes a casual of 5% on the fair market value of all motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats, motors and airplanes transferred between individuals. The maximum casual excise tax is $300. In South Carolina, intangible personal property is exempt from taxation. There is no.

Even though the State of South Carolina does not allow legalized casino gambling, it did allow the operation of Video Poker Machines throughout the state with approximately $2 billion dollars per year deposited into the state's coffers. However, at Midnight on, a new law took effect which outlawed the operation, ownership and possession of Video Poker Machines in the state with machines required to be shut-off at that time and removed from within the state's borders by  or owners of such machines would face criminal prosecution.

Transportation


Major interstate highways passing through the state include: which runs from Florence in the east through Columbia to the southwestern border near Aiken;  which runs from Charleston in the southeast through Columbia to the northern border in Spartanburg County;  which runs from York County in the north to Columbia;  which runs from Cherokee County in the north through Greenville to the southwestern border in Oconee County;  which runs from Downtown Greenville and intersects with  near Laurens; and  which runs from the northeastern border in Dillon County to the southern border in Jasper County. The City of Myrtle Beach has a free shuttle bus that runs up and down Ocean Boulevard in front of the hotels and to many tourist areas.

passes through, , , , and.

Commercial airports are located in, , , , , and.

Law and government
South Carolina's state government consists of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The governor is elected for a four-year term and may serve two consecutive terms. He heads the Executive branch (some officers of which are elected). The current governor is. He is currently serving his second term. The bicameral consists of the 46-member Senate and the 124-member House of Representatives. The two bodies meet in the. The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Court, Family Court, and other divisions.

See also: 

Judicial branch
The Family Court deals with all matters of domestic and family relationships, as well as generally maintaining exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving minors under the age of seventeen, excepting traffic and game law violations. Some criminal charges may come under Circuit Court jurisdiction.

The Circuit Court is the general jurisdiction court for South Carolina. It comprises the Civil Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, which is the criminal court. The court maintains limited appellate jurisdiction over the Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, Municipal Court, and the Administrative Law Judge Division. The state has sixteen judicial circuits, each with at least one resident circuit judge.

The Court of Appeals handles Circuit Court and Family Court appeals, excepting appeals that are within the seven classes of exclusive Supreme Court jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals is selected by the General Assembly for staggered, six-year terms. The court comprises a chief judge, and eight associate judges, and may hear cases as the whole court, or as three panels with three judges each. The court may preside in any county.

The is South Carolina's highest court. The Chief Justice and four Associate Justices are elected to ten year terms by the General Assembly. Terms are staggered, and there are no limits on the number of terms a justice may serve, but there is a mandatory retirement age of 72. The overwhelming majority of vacancies on the Court occur when Justices reach this age, not through the refusal of the General Assembly to elect a sitting Justice to another term.

South Carolina Constitution
The South Carolina Constitution contains provisions which, when compared to the Constitutions of other States, are unusual. For example, a constitutional amendment must be approved by two-thirds of each house of the legislature, approved by the people in an election, and then ratified by a majority of each house of the legislature. If the legislature fails to ratify it, the amendment does not take effect, even though it has been approved by the people. See S.C. Const. art. XVI, s. 1.

Prior to, , Article XVII, Section 3, of the South Carolina Constitution prohibited divorce for any reason. Since that date, South Carolina permits divorce for certain reasons. It is believed that South Carolina is the only State in the Union that lists the grounds for divorce in its Constitution. The effect of doing so is that the Legislature is prohibited from creating additional grounds for divorce beyond those specified in the South Carolina Constitution. See S.C. Const. art. XVII, Section 3.

Law enforcement agencies

 * South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Division
 * South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services
 * South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
 * Homeland Security
 * South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services
 * South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
 * Homeland Security
 * South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
 * Homeland Security

Federal politics
Like the Southern states, South Carolina consistently voting in the late 19th century and half of 20th century as a. The became competitive in the 1960 Presidential Election when  narrowly lost the state to  by just two percentage points. In 1964, making first Republican to win the state for nearly 90 years. Since then, South Carolina has voted for a Republican in every presidential election from 1964 to forward with exception of 1976 when, a Southerner, was the last Democrat to win the state. won the state with 58% of the statewide vote in 2004 over Senator. Republicans now control the governorate, eight of nine statewide offices, both houses of legislature, both US Senators and four of six members of the US House of Representatives.

State politics
In the, the South Carolina delegation to are Senators   and , both Republicans. In the, U.S. Representatives are Republicans of 1st District,  of 2nd District,  of 3rd District, and  of 4th District, and Democrats  of 5th District and  of 6th District.



Important cities and towns


The capital and largest city in the state is, with an estimated population in the mid-2000's of around 120,000. The other two major centers in the state are in the Lowcountry (100,000) and  (57,000) in the Upstate. Other notable incorporated cities are, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and.

It is interesting to note that, due to extremely strict annexation laws passed by the General Assembly in 1976, incorporated municipalities in South Carolina are usually much smaller in area and population than those elsewhere in the fast-growing Southeast. However, when a South Carolina city's proximal suburbs that would otherwise be annexed into their city limits are blended in with its core population, they exhibit similar sizes and rates of growth as many municipalities in neighboring states, such as Georgia and North Carolina. This takes many first-time visitors to South Carolina's main cities by surprise, as many are expecting much less in what has historically been thought of as an almost completely rural state.

Institutions of higher education
(In order of foundation date)

South Carolina has a long and proud tradition of higher education that is intertwined with its rich and complex history. For a relatively small state, South Carolina hosts a disproportionately large and diverse cohort of institutions of higher education, from large state-funded research universities to small colleges that cultivate a liberal arts, religious or military tradition.

In addition to its status as the oldest college or university in South Carolina, founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, the (C of C) is the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first  in the country. The College is in company with the as one the original and foundational institutions of higher education in the United States. Its founders include three signers of the and three signers of the. The College's historic campus, which is listed on the 's, forms an integral part of Charleston's colonial-era urban center. As one of the leading institutions of higher education in the, the College of Charleston is celebrated nationally for its focus on undergraduate education with strengths in Marine Biology, Classics, Art History and Historic Preservation. The Graduate School of the College of Charleston, offers a number of degree programs and coordinates support for its nationally recognized faculty research efforts. According to the Princeton Review, C of C is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education and U.S. News and World Report regularly ranks C of C among the best masters level universities in the South. C of C presently enrolls approximately 10,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students.

The is a, al,   located in , South Carolina,. The University's campus covers over 359 acre in the urban core less than one city block from the. The institution was founded in 1801 as in an effort to promote harmony between the  and the. The College became a symbol of the South in the antebellum period as its graduates were on the forefront of secession from the Union. From the to, the institution lacked a clear direction and was constantly reorganized to meet the needs of the political power in office. In 1957, the University expanded its reach through the and rapidly became the state's preeminent and most popular institution of higher education, a status it retains to this day.

is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826, Furman enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. Furman is the oldest, largest and most selective private institution in South Carolina. The university is primarily focused on undergraduate education (only two departments, education and chemistry, offer graduate degrees).

, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1842, the college is best known for its undergraduate Corps of Cadets military program for men and women, which combines academics, physical challenges and military discipline. In addition to the cadet program, civilian programs are offered through the Citadel's College of Graduate and Professional Studies with its evening undergraduate and graduate programs. The Citadel enrolls almost 2,000 undergraduate cadets in its residential military program and 1,200 civilian students in the evening programs.

is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA, and enrolls around 1300 undergraduate students. Founded in 1880, PC has 84 full-time professors, offers 30 majors, and provides Cooperative and Dual-Degree Programs in Engineering (with Auburn, Clemson, and Vanderbilt Universities), Forestry/Environmental Science (with Duke University) and Religion (with Union Theological Seminary). They also have eight pre-professional programs.

Founded as the Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina in 1889, is now a public, coeducational, land-grant research university located in Clemson, South Carolina. Clemson The University currently enrolls more than 17,000 students from all 50 states and from more than 70 countries.

For full listings See 

Secondary education
According to a survey of recent studies conducted by the University of South Carolina's South Carolina ranks at or near the bottom of the United States in terms of secondary school graduation rates.

Sports in South Carolina

 * South Carolina has no major professional franchise of the, , , or located in the state; however the NFL's  (based in ) represent both , played their first season in , and the team's training camp takes place every year at  in . In addition, the 's  maintain their training facilities near  in.


 * Though there are no major league franchises based in South Carolina, there are numerous minor league teams that are either based in the state, or play much of their schedule within it's borders. The highest level of minor league sports played in South Carolina is the AAA-level team, the  who, though being officially affiliated with the city of  and develop players for the, actually play their home games at the  stadium near the  facilities in . Currently, only , , and  still boast any other level (in each case single-A) of professional . Curiously enough, for a state where natural ice is a rarity, professional  has been popular in a number of areas of the state since the 1990s. Though 4 teams competed at one time in South Carolina, the East Coast Hockey League  currently oversees operations of only two franchises, one, the , the other, the  (who play in ). According to the league, however,  is slated to receive a franchise when their new arena is completed in 2008/9.
 * College sports in particular are very big in South Carolina. 's Tigers and the 's Gamecocks regularly draw more than 80,000 spectators at the schools' home football games. Smaller universities located in South Carolina also have very competitive sports programs, including the, , , , , , , , , , and.
 * racing was born in, and South Carolina has in the past hosted some very important NASCAR races, mainly at the . Darlington Raceway still has the one NASCAR race weekend, usually weekend. All four of NASCAR's series come to Darlington including Feather light, Craftsman Trucks, Busch Cars, and  cars.
 * South Carolina is known as a golfing paradise. Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand has more than a hundred golf courses. Myrtle Beach has more public golf courses per capita than any other place in the country. Some have hosted PGA and LGPA events in the past, but most have been designed for the casual golfer. Hilton Head & Kiawah Island has several very nice golf courses and hosts professional events every year. The upstate of South Carolina also has many nice golf courses, most of the nicer courses are private including the Cliff's courses and Cross Creek Plantation (the Cliff's courses host the annual BMW PRO/AM that brings many celebrities and professionals to South Carolina. Cross Creek Plantation located in Seneca, also private hosted a PGA Qualifier in the 90's). Oconee Country Club also in Seneca, is an extremely nice course, very well-kept, and is open to the public. In 2007, "The Ocean Course" On was ranked #1 in Golf Digest Magazine's "America's 50 Toughest Golf Courses" and #38 on their "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses".
 * Watersports are also an extremely popular activity in South Carolina. With a large coast line, South Carolina has many different beach activities such as surfing, boogie boarding, deep sea fishing, and shrimping. The Pee Dee region of the state offers exceptional fishing. Some of the largest catfish ever caught were caught in the . The Upstate of South Carolina also offers outstanding water activities. The Midlands region also offers water-based recreation revolving around Lakes and  and such rivers as the, , , and.
 * While there are no race tracks with betting in South Carolina there is significant horse training activity, particularly in and, which hold steeplechase races.

Famous people from South Carolina

 * , born James William Anderson III on, in Columbia; an American country music singer and songwriter, nicknamed "Whisperin' Bill." Arguably his biggest hit was the 1963 single "Still."
 * (born, in ; died , ), blues singer and guitarist; inspired the "Pink" in.
 * Maj.  (born,  in ; died , ), Air Force  pilot shot down over Cuba during the.
 * (born in ), a newspaper publisher in Los Angeles, California, and the first African-American woman on a Presidential campaign ticket in
 * (1976 &mdash; ), born and raised in, he is a and former  now working for 's  brand.
 * (1953 &mdash; ), graduated from high school in in 1971. On, , President  nominated Bernanke to succeed  as Chairman of the . Greenspan retired on ,  after 18 years as chairman.
 * , born in, former wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos
 * , actor, comedian and radio personality from.
 * (born, in  Died , ). The "Godfather of Soul," legendary singer and member of the.
 * (, –, ), born in Charleston,  under President , also served as  and as an  of the . 's Person of the Year 1947.
 * (1782 – 1850), born near, a statesman and political philosopher. From 1811 until his death, Calhoun served in the federal government successively as congressman, secretary of war, vice president, senator, secretary of state and again as senator.
 * , American football player, (born, ), inducted to the on ,.
 * Charlamagne Tha God-Co-Host of the nationally syndicated radio show "The Wendy Williams Experience" also co host of the "The Wendy Williams Experience" on Vh1.
 * , singer, born Ernest Evans in.
 * , author, futurist and host of the award-winning podcast , born in on,.
 * , host of ' on Comedy Central since 2005; previously a correspondent for Comedy Central's '. A native of Charleston, he attended School.
 * (1980-), actress, , she was born in.
 * , novelist, grew up in, attended and  in . He taught school in Beaufort and on remote  near . All his novels have been set in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Conroy now lives on.
 * (1983-) an actress born in and raised in
 * (, -, ), blues and gospel songwriter and innovative guitarist, born in.
 * , actress, best known for role as Charlotte York in .
 * , nuclear physicist, best known for his role in the ""
 * , born in Charleston, actor and comedian best known for his roles on TV sitcoms, including NewsRadio and Less Than Perfect, as well as appearing on numerous comedy programs such as the Comedy Central Roasts
 * , the first African-American player in 's, and only the second in either league after (Born in ).
 * (born, - ,) a female professional wrestler better known as . She is a former  Women's World Champion. She is from.
 * , basketball player, member of the.
 * , actor, best know for his role in the (Golden Palm) winning film  at the . He graduated from Columbia's Dreher High School and attended the.
 * , 1964 Olympic heavyweight champion and the world heavyweight champ 1970-73; fought for the heavyweight title three times. He is most remembered for the fight at  in March 1971, where he defeated Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champ. Frazier was born in  on,.
 * , engineer of the central portion of the, after which the main cut is named; born in . He died of a before the work was finished.
 * (nicknamed "The Big Ticket"), an basketball player for the ; born and raised in.
 * of Entertainment Tonight and other news shows grew up in, a suburb of Columbia.
 * (1927-2003), the first black female player to win the singles  title, was born in.
 * , author and credited as the father of the genre of, was born in  on ,.
 * (1917-1993), John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie, considered by some to be the greatest er of all time, was born in.
 * (1767-1845), President of the United States; born near but emigrated to  as an adult. He was the hero of the  and 7th President, from 1829 to 1837.
 * , famous political and social figure, originally from.
 * (1887 – 1951). Considered to be one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of, his career .356 is the third highest in history, after  and . He was born in.
 * (, -, ), born in Charleston. Legendary bass player and member of the Funk Brothers, the session band at Motown. Played on "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker and the All Stars, "For Once In My Life" by Stevie Wonder, "My Girl" by The Temptations and "What's Goin' On" by Marvin Gaye among many other Motown classics.
 * (1977 - ), born as Jay Jenkins is a rapper from.
 * , widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, was raised (albeit born in a Georgia hospital) in.
 * (1968-), a comedian and actor from
 * (1927- ), actress and singer, one of only a handful of performers to be nominated twice for both a and, as well as for an . She hails from.
 * (1821-1904), controversial general of the Civil War, widely respected during the war as Lee's second-in-command, but later condemned by many of his peers for his criticisms of Lee at Gettysburg and for his post-war political affiliation. Longstreet was born in Edgefield District, now, although he was raised in northern Georgia.
 * (1732-1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was a in the . The main character in the movie The Patriot is based largely on his exploits. Marion was born in.
 * , recording artist who reached platinum status with his hit single "I'll Be", from his second album, Misguided Roses, in 1998. McCain was born in Greenville.
 * , film actress and model, most well-known for her roles in Four Weddings and a Funeral,Groundhog Day and Green Card, was born in and attended.
 * , Prestigious and prominent politician and businessman; Charleston alderman 1927-31, mayor 1931-38, governor 1939-1941, and US senator 1941-54; never lost an election, made his money in cotton exporting; at one point was named one of the 20 most influential men in America by Fortune Magazine
 * Roger "Rocky" McIntosh, an NFL player from Gaffney
 * (1950 – 1986), born in ; one of the seven astronauts to die when the exploded shortly after take-off from  in  on,.
 * , born in, and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina; received Nobel Prize for DNA amplification research. There is public controversy regarding credit for this research.
 * , born on, in ; an American  host and entertainment.
 * , born on, in ; a  player.
 * , author of a children's book series featuring a befuddled maid, . She was from.
 * , nationally recognized columnist.
 * , actress born in, best-known works include Fried Green Tomatoes, Boys on the Side, Proof, The West Wing, Angels in America, and her current role on Showtime's Weeds.
 * , better known as "The Refrigerator", became a household name after helping lead the to the  in the 1985/86 season. He played college football at . He lives in his hometown of.
 * (1935-2001), best known as the founding member of . He was born in.
 * (1925-2007), was a performer and singer that was a member of the / group, . was born in.
 * (1903-1960), FBI agent who captured more public enemies than anyone, including . He was born in.
 * (1953- ), longtime star of the who won the  Most Valuable Player award in 1978. Native of.
 * (, -, )), best known as the author of the bestselling  fantasy series under the pen name . Rigney was born in Charleston and holds an  in  from , the military college of South Carolina.
 * (1979- ) born in . Country singer best known for her 2004 hit "Break Down Here". Received Top New Artist and Top New Female Vocalist nominations from The Academy of Country Music for her 2004 debut album "Julie Roberts".
 * (born, ), an American stand-up comedian and actor born in.
 * (1966-), lead singer of "Hootie and the Blowfish", was born in, and now resides near, Charleston.
 * (1938-), internationally-recognized painter and sculptor, was born in Columbia and has lived there for the majority of his life
 * (July 3, 1970), film and television actress, was born in
 * (1959-), internationally recognized author and columnist, was born in Columbia.
 * (born, ), a Grammy Award-nominated American R&B and neo soul singer and songwriter from.
 * (1967-2001), R&B/Pop/Dance Singer (former member of ), born in Charleston, died in a plane crash near Bassersdorf,.
 * (1902 – 2003), born in in 1902. South Carolina governor from 1947 – 1951, and in 1954 became the first and only United States Senator elected by a write-in vote. In 1997, Senator Thurmond became the oldest and longest serving member of the U.S. Senate. In January 2003, at age 100, Thurmond retired from public service after his eighth term. He returned to his hometown where he died,.
 * grew up in Greenville and started singing on his family’s farm. He is now a star with several country hits to his credit.
 * (1915-), physicist and astronomer from Greenville, graduated from ; winner of the 1964 for  for his contributions to the invention of the laser and maser. He is  of Physics at the -Berkeley.
 * (born, in ) is an American country music singer. Turner possesses a very distinctive bass voice
 * , father of the movement
 * , 1980, the second woman from South Carolina and fifth from the U.S. to win the title. She also played Jill Riley in Season 1 of .
 * -- (born, , – , ) was at one point commander of all United States ground forces in Vietnam and was also.
 * , "Wheel of Fortune" game show hostess since 1982, hails from.
 * (1972 &mdash; ), born in, Wight also known as the Big Show, he is a and former  now working for 's  brand.
 * (1938-)
 * is a former player from  that played for the  and the
 * (from ), the founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund and the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.
 * born in graduated from Greenville High School in.
 * , Major League baseball player, born, in Florence, SC; played for Spartanburg Methodist College; currently an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals, his eighth Major League team
 * (1992-) an actress born in and raised in
 * Sheldon Brown (, -) cornerback for the NFL Team the Philadelphia Eagles. He was born in Lancaster, SC and attended Lewisville High School in Richburg and played college football at the University of South Carolina.

Alcohol laws
was a major issue in the state's history. Voters endorsed prohibition in 1892 but instead were given the "Dispensary System" of state-owned liquor stores, They soon became symbols of political corruption controlled by 's machine and were shut down in 1907. Today, most counties in South Carolina do not allow the sale of alcohol on Sunday, but counties and cities can apply referendums to overturn this. Six counties currently allow Sunday alcohol sales; Richland County, Lexington, Georgetown, Charleston, Beaufort and Horry. Cities and towns that have passed laws allowing Sunday alcohol sales include Spartanburg, Greenville, Aiken, Rock Hill, Summerville, Santee, Daniel Island and Tega Cay.

While there are no in South Carolina, certain counties enforce time restrictions for alcohol sales in stores (e.g., no sales after 2 AM in Pickens County) while others do not (in-store alcohol sales are allowed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Charleston, excluding liquor which must be purchased before 7 PM). Columbia, the state's capital and largest city and the home of the University of South Carolina, takes one of the more relaxed stances on alcohol sales in bars. Many bars, especially those catering to younger crowds in the busy Five Points district, serves alcohol until sunrise, and it is not unheard of for bars and clubs to serve alcohol until 6 AM, although the per-se legality of this practice is debatable.

Before 2006, South Carolina was infamous amongst tourists and residents alike for being the last state in the nation to require cocktails and liquor drinks to be mixed using minibottles, like those found on airplanes, instead of from free-pour bottles. The original logic behind this law was twofold: it made alcohol taxation simpler and allowed bar patrons to receive a standardized amount of alcohol in each drink. However, minibottles contain 1.75 OZ (52 ml) of alcohol, approximately 30% more than the typical 1.2 OZ (35 ml) found in free-pour drinks, with the obvious result of overly strong cocktails and inebriated bar customers. The law was changed in 2006 to allow both free-pour and minibottles in bars, and the vast majority of bars quickly eschewed minibottles in favor of free-pour.

Patron Saint of South Carolina's Catholic Church
The, the in South Carolina has as its patron saint,.

South Carolina singularities

 * Adjutant general: The head of the state's national guard, the adjutant general, is a statewide elected official.
 * Driving Under the Influence: South Carolina is the only state in the nation with mandatory videotaping by the arresting officer of the DUI arrest and breath test.
 * Fire Safety Regulations: South Carolina is the only state that allows fire officials to sidestep a federal regulation requiring that for every employee doing hazardous work inside a building, one must be outside.
 * School Buses: South Carolina is the only state in the nation that owns and operates its own school bus fleet.
 * Strokes: South Carolina has the highest rate of stroke deaths in the nation.
 * Black Water River: With the Edisto River, South Carolina has the longest completely undammed / unleveed blackwater river in North America.
 * Outdoor Sculpture: South Carolina is home to the world's largest collection of outdoor sculpture located at Brookgreen Gardens.
 * Landscaped Gardens: South Carolina is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States, at Middleton Place near Charleston.
 * Public Museum: The first public museum in the Americas was the Charleston Museum, founded in 1773.
 * Opera: The first opera performed in the Americas was performed in Charleston on February 18, 1735.

Textbooks and surveys

 * Bass, Jack. Porgy Comes Home: South Carolina After 300 Years,. Sandlapper, 1970.
 * Edgar, Walter. South Carolina: A History,, 1998. ISBN 1-57003-255-6
 * Edgar, Walter, ed. The South Carolina Encyclopedia, University of South Carolina Press, 2006. ISBN 1-57003-598-2
 * George C. Rogers Jr. and C. James Taylor. A South Carolina Chronology, 1497-1992, 2nd Ed.,. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 1994. ISBN 0-87249-971-5
 * Wallace, David Duncan. South Carolina: A Short History, 1520-1948 (1951) ISBN 0-87249-079-3
 * WPA. South Carolina: A Guide to the Palmetto State (1941) ASIN B000HM05WE
 * Wright, Louis B. South Carolina: A Bicentennial History' (1977) ISBN 0-393-05560-4

Scholarly secondary studies

 * Bass, Jack and Marilyn W. Thompson. Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond,. Longstreet Press, 1998.
 * Busick, Sean R. A Sober Desire for History: William Gilmore Simms as Historian., 2005. ISBN 1-57003-565-2.
 * Clarke, Erskine. Our Southern Zion: A History of Calvinism in the South Carolina Low Country, 1690-1990 (1996)
 * Channing, Steven. Crisis of Fear: Secession in South Carolina (1970)
 * Cohodas, Nadine. Strom Thurmond and the Politics of Southern Change,. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
 * Coit, Margaret L. John C. Calhoun: American Portrait (1950)
 * Crane, Verner W. The Southern Frontier, 1670-1732 (1956)
 * Ford Jr., Lacy K. Origins of Southern Radicalism: The South Carolina Upcountry, 1800-1860 (1991)
 * Hindus, Michael S. Prison and Plantation: Crime, Justice, and Authority in Massachusetts and South Carolina, 1767-1878 (1980)
 * Johnson Jr., George Lloyd. The Frontier in the Colonial South: South Carolina Backcountry, 1736-1800 (1997)
 * Jordan, Jr., Frank E. The Primary State - A History of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, 1876-1962, Columbia, SC, 1967
 * Keyserling, Harriet. Against the Tide: One Woman's Political Struggle. University of South Carolina Press, 1998.
 * Kantrowitz, Stephen. Ben Tillman & the Reconstruction of White Supremacy (2002)
 * Lau, Peter F.  Democracy Rising: South Carolina And the Fight for Black Equality Since 1865 (2006)
 * Peirce, Neal R. The Deep South States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Seven Deep South States; (1974)
 * Rogers, George C. Evolution of a Federalist: William Loughton Smith of Charleston (1758-1812) (1962)
 * Schultz Harold S. Nationalism and Sectionalism in South Carolina, 1852-1860 (1950)
 * Simon, Bryant. A Fabric of Defeat: The Politics of South Carolina Millhands, 1910-1948 (1998)
 * Simkins, Francis Butler. The Tillman Movement in South Carolina (1926)
 * Simkins, Francis Butler. Pitchfork Ben Tillman: South Carolinian (1944)
 * Simkins, Francis Butler, and Robert Hilliard Woody. South Carolina during Reconstruction (1932).
 * Sinha, Manisha. The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina (2000)
 * Smith, Warren B. White Servitude in Colonial South Carolina (1961)
 * Tullos, Allen Habits of Industry: White Culture and the Transformation of the Carolina Piedmont (1989)
 * Williamson Joel R.  After Slavery: The Negro in South Carolina during Reconstruction, 1861-1877 (1965)
 * Wood, Peter H. Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 Through the Stono Rebellion (1996)

Local studies

 * Bass, Jack and Jack Nelson.The Orangeburg Massacre,. Mercer University Press, 1992.
 * Burton, Orville Vernon. In My Father's House Are Many Mansions: Family and Community in Edgefield, South Carolina (1985), social history
 * Carlton, David L. Mill and Town in South Carolina, 1880-1920 (1982)
 * Clarke, Erskine. Dwelling Place: A Plantation Epic (2005)
 * Danielson, Michael N. Profits and Politics in Paradise: The Development of Hilton Head Island,. University of South Carolina Press, 1995.
 * Doyle, Don H. New Men, New Cities, New South: Atlanta, Nashville, Charleston, Mobile, 1860-1910 (1990)
 * Huff, Jr., Archie Vernon. Greenville: The History of the City and County in the South Carolina Piedmont, University of South Carolina Press, 1995.
 * Moore, John Hammond. Columbia and Richland County: A South Carolina Community, 1740-1990, University of South Carolina Press, 1993.
 * Moredock, Will. Banana Republic: A Year in the Heart of Myrtle Beach,. Frontline Press, 2003.
 * Pease, William H. and Jane H. Pease. The Web of Progress: Private Values and Public Styles in Boston and Charleston, 1828-1843 (1985),
 * Robertson, Ben. Red Hills and Cotton,. USC Press (reprint), 1991.
 * Rose, Willie Lee.  Rehearsal for Reconstruction: The Port Royal Experiment (1964)

Political science

 * Carter, Luther F. and David Mann, eds. Government in the Palmetto State: Toward the 21st century,. University of South Carolina, 1993.ISBN 0-917069-01-3
 * Graham, Cole Blease and William V. Moore. South Carolina Politics and Government. Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8032-7043-7
 * Tyer, Charlie. ed. South Carolina Government: An Introduction,. USC Institute for Public Affairs, 2002. ISBN 0-917069-12-9

Primary documents

 * Salley, Alexander S. ed. Narratives of Early Carolina, 1650-1708 (1911) ISBN 0-7812-6298-4
 * Woodmason Charles. The Carolina Backcountry on the Eve of the Revolution Edited by Richard J. Hooker. (1953), a missionary reports ISBN 0-8078-4035-1