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State of South Carolina
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Flag of South Carolinasvg
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Flag Of South Carolina
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SouthCarolinastatesealjpg
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Palmetto State
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Columbia
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English
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Columbia
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Mark Sanford (R)
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"http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Jim_DeMint" class="copylinks">Jim DeMint (R)
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SC
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40<sup>th</sup>
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82,965
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78,051
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4,915
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6
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26<sup>th</sup>
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4,012,012
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21<sup>st</sup>
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5145
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8<sup>th</sup>
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May 23 , 1788
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-5/ -4
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32°4'30"N to 35°12'N
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78°0'30"W to 83°20'W
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320
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1085
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US-SC
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is a
State in the
Southern region of the
United States . The
Province Of South Carolina was one of the
13 Colonies that revolted against British rule in the
American Revolution . It was the first state to secede from the Union to found the
Confederate States Of America . The state is named after King
Charles II Of England , as ''Carolus'' is Latin for Charles. As of
2004 , the state's population is 4,198,068.
Several ships in the
United States Navy have been named
USS ''South Carolina'' in honor of this state.
South Carolina is bounded to the north by
North Carolina ; to the south and west by
Georgia , located across the
Savannah River ; and to the east by the
Atlantic Ocean .
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 , 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
Salt Marshes and
Estuaries , as well as natural ports such as
Georgetown and Charleston. An unusual feature of the coastal plain is a large number of
Carolina Bays , 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 area 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, and is now reforested. At the edge of the Piedmont is the ''
Fall Line '', where rivers drop to the coastal plain. The fall line was an important early source of water power, and mills built to harness this resource encouraged the growth of several cities, including the capital, Columbia. The larger rivers are navigable up to the fall line, providing a trade route for mill towns.
The upper part of the Piedmont is also known as the . The
Cherokee Parkway is a scenic driving route through this area.
Highest in elevation is the , containing an escarpment of the
Blue Ridge Mountains , which continue into North Carolina and Georgia, as part of the southern
Appalachian chain.
Sassafras Mountain , South Carolina's highest point at 3,560 feet (1,085 m) is located in this area. Also located in the Upcountry is Table Rock State Park and Caesar's Head State Park. The
Chattooga River , located on the border between South Carolina and Georgia, is a favorite
Whitewater Rafting destination.
Areas under the management of the
National Park Service include:
''See:
List Of South Carolina Counties .''
''Main article:
History Of South Carolina ''
The colony of Carolina was settled by English settlers sent by the Lords Proprietors in 1670, followed by French
Huguenot s. The Carolina upcountry was settled largely by Scotch-Irish migrants from
Pennsylvania and
Virginia . Carolina became a royal colony in 1712. North Carolina was split off in 1729. The state declared its independence from
Great Britain and set up its own government on
March 15 ,
1776 . On
February 5 ,
1778 , South Carolina became the first state to ratify the first constitution of the United States, the
Articles Of Confederation . South Carolina became the 8th state on May 23, 1788.
South Carolina seceded from the
United States on
December 20 ,
1860 . The rest of the Southern states seceded in the following months; together, they organized themselves as the
Confederate States Of America . President
James Buchanan took little action, preferring to let the newly elected President
Abraham Lincoln decide the matter. On
April 12 ,
1861 , Confederate batteries began shelling
Fort Sumter , which stands on an island in Charleston harbor, thus precipitating the
Civil War . Students from
The Citadel were among those firing the first shots of the war, though Edmund Ruffin is usually credited with firing the first shot.
After the
American Civil War , South Carolina was reincorporated into the United States during
Reconstruction . The state became a hotbed of racial and economic controversy during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the late 1800s.
In the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry, converted its agricultural base from cotton to more profitable crops, attracted large military bases and, most recently, attracted European manufacturers.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau , 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. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 36,401 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 115,084 people.
For most of its history,
Black Slaves made up a large majority of South Carolina's population (as much as 75%). African-Americans still dominate most of the Lowcountry (especially the inland Lowcountry) and much of the Piedmont; areas where
Cotton ,
Rice , and
Indigo plantations once dominated the landscape. Whites, primarily of American and British ancestry, live in much of the upstate and in certain urban and suburban areas.
6.6% of South Carolina's population were reported as under 5, 25.2% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older.
Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population.
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:
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
Sales Tax is 5 percent. Counties have the option to impose an additional 1 percent local option sales tax. Citizens 85 or older get a one-percent exclusion from the state's 5 percent sales tax.
Property Tax is administered and collected by local governments with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Both
Real and
Personal Property are subject to tax. Approximately two-thirds of county-levied property taxes are used for the support of public education. 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
Excise Tax of 5 percent 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
Inheritance Tax .
Major interstate highways passing through the state include: I-26, I-20, I-77, I-85, and I-95.
]]
South Carolina's state government consists of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The governor, elected for a (once) renewable four-year term, heads the Executive branch (some officers of which are elected). The current governor is Mark Sanford. The bicameral
South Carolina General Assembly consists of the 46-member Senate and the 124-member House of Representatives. The two bodies meet in the
South Carolina State House . The Judicial Branch consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Circuit Court, Family Court, and other divisions.
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, comprised of 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 is comprised of 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 Supreme Court is South Carolina's highest court. Comprised of the Chief Justice, and four Associate Justices, Supreme Court judges are appointed 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.
''See also
List Of Governors Of South Carolina ''
The capital is
Columbia . Other important cities are
Myrtle Beach ,
Charleston ,
Greenville ,
Rock Hill ,
Spartanburg ,
Anderson ,
Sumter , and
Florence .
- William Westmoreland -- (born Spartanburg County , March 26 , 1914 – July 18 , 2005 ) was at one point commander of all United States ground forces in Vietnam and was also Chief Of Staff Of The United States Army .
- Jermaine O'Neal -- born on October 13 , 1978 in Columbia is a NBA player.
- Bill Anderson -- born James William Anderson III on November 1 , 1937 in Columbia -- is an American country music singer and songwriter, nicknamed "Whisperin' Bill." Arguably his biggest hit was the 1963 single "Still."
- Ben Bernanke (1953—), Graduated from high school in Dillon in 1971. On October 24 , 2005 , President George W. Bush nominated Bernanke to succeed Alan Greenspan as Chairman of the Federal Reserve . Greenspan retired on January 31, 2006 after 18 years as chairman.
- James Brown (born May 3 , 1933 in Barnwell ). The "Godfather of Soul," legendary singer and member of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame .
- Shelton Benjamin (1976—), born and raised in Orangeburg, he is a Professional Wrestler and former Amateur Wrestler now working for World Wrestling Entertainment 's '' RAW '' brand.
- James F. Byrnes (May 2, 1879 – April 9, 1972) born in Charleston, Secretary Of State under President Franklin D. Roosevelt , also served as Governor Of South Carolina and as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court . Time Magazine 's Person of the Year 1947.
- John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), born near Abbeville , John Caldwell Calhoun was an American 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. He has been declared one of the five greatest senators of all time.
- Wilson Casey (1954—), born in Woodruff . Casey is a Trivia Guinness World Record Holder and a nationally syndicated newspaper trivia columnist who appeared as a contestant on NBC's "The Weakest Link".
- Chubby Checker , singer, born in Spring Gulley .
- Stephen Colbert has been a correspondent for Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show '' for several years. In 2005 he became host of '' The Colbert Report '' on the same network. A native of Charleston, he attended Porter Gaud School.
- Joe Frazier , 1964 Olympic heavyweight champion and the world heavyweight champ 1970-73, Frazier fought Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title three times. He is most remembered for the fight at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, where he defeated Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champ. Frazier was born in Beaufort on January 12, 1944.
- David Gaillard engineer of the central portion of the Panama Canal , after which the main cut is named, was born in Manning . He died of a Brain Tumor before the work was finished.
- Kevin Garnett , (nicknamed "The Big Ticket") he was a basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves ; was born and raised in Mauldin .
- Leeza Gibbons of ''Entertainment Tonight'' and other Hollywood news shows grew up in Irmo , a suburb of Columbia.
- Althea Gibson (1927-2003), the first black female player to win the Wimbledon singles Tennis title, was born in Silver .
- Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993), John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie, considered by some to be the greatest Jazz Trumpet er of all time, was born in Cheraw .
- Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), President of the United States born near Lancaster but emigrated to Tennessee as an adult. He was the hero of the Battle Of New Orleans and 7th President, from 1829 to 1837 .
- Jesse Jackson , famous political and social figure, is originally from Greenville.
- 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (1887–1951). Considered to be one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of Baseball , his career .356 Batting Average is the third highest in history, after Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby . He was born in Brandon Mills .
- Young Jeezy ,rapper from Columbia
- Jasper Johns , widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of the 20th century, was raised (albeit born in a Georgia hospital) in Allendale .
- Eartha Kitt (1927- ), actress and singer, one of only a handful of performers to be nominated twice for both a Tony Award and Grammy Award , as well as for an Emmy Award . She hails from North .
- Francis Marion (1732-1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was a Brigadier General in the American Revolutionary War . The main character in the movie ''The Patriot'' is based largely on his exploits. Marion was born in Georgetown .
- Edwin McCain , 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.
- Andie MacDowell , film actress and model, most well-known for her roles in ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'',''Groundhog Day'' and ''Green Card'', was born in Gaffney and attended Winthrop College .
- Roger "Rocky" McIntosh , NFL player
- Dr. Ronald McNair (1950–1986), born in Lake City , Dr. McNair was one of the seven astronauts to die when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after take-off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 28 , 1986 .
- Peggy Parish , author of a children's book series featuring a befuddled maid, Amelia Bedelia . She was from Manning, South Carolina.
- William Perry , better known as "The Refrigerator", became a household name after helping lead the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl in the 1985/86 season. He played college football at Clemson University . He lives in his hometown of Aiken .
- John Phillips (1935-2001) best known as the founding member of The Mamas And The Papas . He was born in Parris Island .
- Jim Rice (1953- ), longtime star of the Boston Red Sox who won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1978. Native of Anderson.
- James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (born October 17, 1948), is best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel Of Time fantasy series under the pen name Robert Jordan . Jordan was born in Charleston and holds an Undergraduate Degree in Physics from The Citadel , the military college of South Carolina.
- Chris Rock (comedian, actor)(born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian and actor born in Andrews .
- Darius Rucker (1966-), lead singer of "Hootie and the Blowfish", was born in, and now resides near, Charleston.
- Melanie Thornton (1967–2001), R&B/Pop/Dance Singer (former member of La Bouche ), born in Charleston, died in a plane crash near Bassersdorf ( Zürich ), ( Switzerland ).
- Strom Thurmond (1902–2003), born in Edgefield 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, Senenator 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 June 26, 2003.
- Aaron Tippin grew up in Greenville and started singing on his family’s farm. He is now a Country Music star with several country hits to his credit.
- Charles Townes (1915-), physicist and astronomer from Greenville, graduated from Furman University ; winner of the 1964 Nobel Prize for Physics for his contributions to the invention of the laser and maser. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University Of California -Berkeley.
- Shawn Weatherly was Miss Universe 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 Baywatch .
- Vanna White , "Wheel of Fortune" game show hostess since 1982, hails from North Myrtle Beach .
- Maurice Williams (doo-wop Artist) (1928-).
- Bass, Jack. ''Porgy Comes Home: South Carolina After 300 Years,''. Sandlapper, 1970.
- Edgar, Walter. ''South Carolina: A History,'' , USC Press, 1998.
- Rogers Jr. by George C. and C. James Taylor. ''A South Carolina Chronology, 1497-1992, 2nd Ed.,''. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 1994.
- Wallace, David Duncan. ''South Carolina: A Short History, 1520-1948'' (1951)
- WPA. ''South Carolina: A Guide to the Palmetto State'' (1941)
- Wright, Louis B. ''South Carolina: A Bicentennial History''' (1977)
- 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 1570035652.
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Carter, Luther F. and David Mann, eds. ''Government in the Palmetto State: Toward the 21st Century,''. University of South Carolina, 1993.
- Graham, Cole Blease and William V. Moore. ''South Carolina Politics and Government''. Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1994.
- Tyer, Charlie. ed. ''South Carolina Government: An Introduction,''. USC Institute for Public Affairs, 2002.
- Salley, Alexander S. ed. ''Narratives of Early Carolina, 1650-1708'' (1911)
- Woodmason Charles. ''The Carolina Backcountry on the Eve of the Revolution'' Edited by Richard J. Hooker. (1953), a missionary reports
