Statehood 1788

South Carolina

European exploration of South Carolina began in April 1540 with the Hernando de Soto expedition, and in 1663 the English Crown granted the land to eight proprietors as the Province of Carolina. The first settlers arrived at Charleston in 1670, and the province was split into North and South Carolina in 1712, with South Carolina becoming a crown colony in 1719 after colonists overthrew the proprietors' rule. In March 1776, South Carolina adopted a temporary system of provincial government, and the colony joined the other Thirteen Colonies in declaring independence on July 4, 1776. South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 23, 1788.

Statehood
1788
Historic sites
1,697
Military engagements
692

Pre-contact era

South Carolina was home to Native American peoples prior to European contact. European exploration beginning in April 1540 with the Hernando de Soto expedition unwittingly introduced diseases that decimated the local Native American population. Colonists later pushed back the Native Americans in the Yamasee War of 1715–1717.

Colonial history

The Province of Carolina was a colony of the Kingdom of England (1663–1707) and later the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1712). The original province consisted of all or parts of present-day Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Originally known as Clarendon Province, it was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was represented by the Governor of South Carolina until independence. The two parts of Carolina did not become separate administrative royal colonies until 1729.

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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
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Spotlight
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Explore South Carolina records

1,697
National Register historic sites
National Register listings ›
692
Military engagements
Military history records ›
2
Civil War regiments
Union, Confederate, USCT ›
7
Indigenous groups
Heritage records ›
14
Notable figures
Born in South Carolina ›
36
Colonial-era events
1492 to early statehood ›
South Carolina counties
Census population history ›
Sources

State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

About South Carolina

When did South Carolina become a state?
South Carolina was admitted to the Union in 1788.
What European powers colonized South Carolina?
The territory that became South Carolina passed through several colonial periods. The Province of Carolina was a colony of the Kingdom of England (1663–1707) and later the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1712). The original province consisted of all or parts of present-day Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Originally known as Clarendon Province, it was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies. The mon
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