North and South Carolina were one colony until 1729. Carolina was named to honor Charles IX of France and then Charles I and Charles II of England. Carolina is rooted in Latin and comes from the word Caroliinus. This word is derived from the name Carolus, translated as "Charles."
South Carolina's thriving cultural center of Charleston, and the luxurious coastal island resorts belie the state's turbulent history. Raging against British taxation, South Carolina sent delegates to the Continental Congresses of 1774 and 1775. Throughout the Revolutionary War, the state fought and suffered through 137 battles on her soil. When the British were quashed at the Battle of King's Mountain in 1780, the tides were turned. The almost legendary figure Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox), also contributed to the British retreat. Marion and his men would hide in the swamps and strike out in surprise at British troops, only to vanish again into the unwelcoming swampland. British forces finally withdrew from Charleston in 1782.
In 1861, when Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor was fired upon, the Civil War began, and South Carolina was again engaged in war.
Today, the coastal region thrives as tourists and residents enjoy the splendor of the sandy beaches and islands, and Charleston serves as the state's impressive cultural center.
For 475 years of South Carolina History, purchase Walter B. Edgar's " South Carolina: A History ". Edgar uses letters and diaries to help share, in human terms, the story of this illustrious state.
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