The Colony of South Carolina
by Hogan O'Brien
Establishment
- In 1653, the North Carolina area was inhabited by some Virginians, but their charter was ruled invalid, so, in 1663, Charles II sent 8 nobles to Carolina on a valid royal charter so they could establish a colony. This colony covered not only North Carolina, but also extended into South Carolina; The Province of Carolina.
- South Carolina was the 9th colony out of 13 to be founded (NC was 8th, since it was inhabited 10 years prior)
- Founded in order to increase income and resources for England (mercantilism)
Economy
- Primary occupation: Farming and plantation owning
- Primary industry: Agriculture
- Primary crop: rice
- Other crops included indigo, rice, tobacco, cotton, and corn
- Slaves helped the economy and were the leading source of plantation labor
- In 1729, Carolina was made a royal colony, and was split into North and South due to economic differences: The primary crop in the south was rice, while the primary crop in the north was tobacco.
Demographics
- Most people in South Carolina were wealthy plantation owners of English and French descent,
- South Carolina also hosted notable populations of Native Americans and African slaves.
- Largest population of plantation-working slaves in the colonies
Religion
- Not dominated by any specific religion
- religious freedom for Baptists, Anglicans and others
- Therefore, religion didn't play much of a role in the government of South Carolina
Significance
- South Carolina wasn't much of an important colony as far as achievement goes, but in terms of strengthening the economy, South Carolina played a pivotal role in providing a backbone for America, along with the rest of the Southern colonies.
- It provided the North with resources and goods that couldn't be produced there because of the climate and soil differences.
- Also provided the North with raw materials that could be crafted into new products to be sold around the world or used within America.
- If South Carolina and surrounding colonies had not been colonized, the colonies wouldn't have had enough resources to put up a fight with England, and the Northern and Middle colonies would likely have had to pay lots of money for resources.
Key People
- Andrew Jackson (1765–1845) - born in South Carolina, and later became President of the United States
- Francis Marion (1732–1795), a.k.a. the Swamp Fox, strategic fighter against the British during the War of Independence; Portrayed by Mel Gibson in The Patriot
- Thomas Lynch, Jr., Thomas Heyward, Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge - signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Other Facts and Information
- Named for Carolus II (Latin for Charles II)---Carolina translates to Charles' land.
- In 1587, Elinor White Dare gave birth to a daughter, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World
- Edward Rutledge (1749–1800), Youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence, and was later the governor of South Carolina.
Works Cited
Information:
"History of South Carolina." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Aug. 2013. Web. 10
Sept. 2013.
"South Carolina." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Sept.
2013.
"The 13 Colonies." The History Channel Website. A&E Television Networks, 12 Sept. 2013.
Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
"Colonial Period of South Carolina." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 15
Sept. 2013.
"List of People from South Carolina." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Sept. 2013. Web. 15
Sept. 2013.
Images:
Wpdms Carolina Colony Grant. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Jan. 2012.
Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
"English Plantations on the St. Johns River." English Plantations on the St. Johns River. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.
Andrew Jackson Daguerrotype. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Aug. 2011.
Web. 15 Sept. 2013.
Hanging indent won't work: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ipkb2SAzoUcf3S1bocybfk8Kd3NPzAXrYTCdxgPLvXI/edit