
What is the oldest town in South Carolina?
We all learned 1670 is when the oldest town in South Carolina was founded: Charles Town (now Charleston). And this is true, technically. But wait, Charleston was not the first settlement in the state. Not by a long shot.
Where was the first settlement in South Carolina?
Nearly 150 years later, in 1670, the Europeans landed upstream on the Ashley River in what is now Charleston. Although it’s technically the oldest town in the state, it’s technically not the very first settlement in what is now South Carolina.
What is the history of Charleston South Carolina?
Established under the leadership of Captain Florentia O'Sullivan from England, the town was first known as "North Point," and was only accessible from Charles Towne by way of a ferry until the first Cooper River Bridge was built in the 1930s. 1. Charleston, SC - The Holy City or the Land of the Big Sweetgrass Basket
What is the oldest house in Beaufort SC?
Possibly the oldest house in Beaufort, South Carolina. The houses are used as offices for Charleston County. The house is used as a bed-and-breakfast. James Veree built this house in 1764 and the neighboring house at 58 Church St. a decade earlier.

What was the first city settled in South Carolina?
CharlestonFirst permanent English settlement in South Carolina established at Albemarle Point in Charleston in 1670.
What is the oldest town in SC?
CharlestonFounded in 1670, Charleston is the oldest city in South Carolina, and was one of the biggest in the country until the mid-19th century.
What's the second oldest city in South Carolina?
BeaufortBeaufort (/ˈbjuːfərt/ BEW-fert, a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston.
What is the oldest inland city in South Carolina?
CamdenCamden, South Carolina's oldest inland town has a storied history. Geographically situated on the head of the navigable Wateree River, Camden was the home of the Native American Cofitachequi civilization and one of the eleven townships decreed by King George II in 1732.
Who is the richest man in SC?
Anita Zucker, who took over operation of the chemical manufacturing company her husband founded, remains South Carolina's wealthiest person, according to Forbes magazine's list of wealthiest people in each state.
What is the prettiest town in SC?
Here are 15 of the most beautiful small towns in South Carolina that you should definitely visit if you get the chance.York, SC. Wikipedia. ... Bluffton, SC. Matt/Flickr. ... Edisto Island, SC. David B. ... Clemson, SC. Bart/Flickr. ... Pendleton, SC. Let Ideas Compete/Flickr. ... Travelers Rest, SC. Jason A G/Flickr. ... McClellanville, SC. ... Beaufort, SC.More items...•
What is the nicest area of South Carolina?
Where Is The Best Place To Live In South Carolina?Mount Pleasant. Population: 91,684. ... Columbia. Population: 131,674. ... Tega Cay. Population: 11,335. ... Fort Mill. Population: 22,284. ... Rock Hill. Population: 75,048. ... Clemson. Population: 17,501. ... Lexington. Population: 22,157. ... Myrtle Beach. Population: 34,695. Median Household Income: $40,525.More items...
Where is the nicest place to live in South Carolina?
Best Places to Live in South Carolina in 2022-2023Myrtle Beach, SC.Greenville, SC.Charleston, SC.Spartanburg, SC.Columbia, SC.
What is the oldest town in USA?
St. AugustineSt. Augustine, founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain, is the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States – more commonly called the "Nation's Oldest City."
Which city is older Charleston or Savannah?
Savannah, the oldest city in Georgia, was established in 1733, and Charleston, the oldest city in South Carolina, was founded in 1670. They're located about 100 miles apart, so it's easy to visit both on one trip.
What's the third oldest city in South Carolina?
GeorgetownGeorgetown was formally founded in 1729, making it South Carolina's third oldest city following Charleston and Beaufort.
What are the 5 oldest cities in the United States?
10 Oldest Cities in the U.S.St. Augustine, Florida (1565) ... Jamestown, Virginia (1607) ... Santa Fe, New Mexico (1607) ... Hampton, Virginia (1610) ... Kecoughtan, Virginia (1610) ... Newport News, Virginia (1613) ... Albany, New York (1614) ... Jersey City, New Jersey (1617)More items...•
Which city is older Charleston or Savannah?
Savannah, the oldest city in Georgia, was established in 1733, and Charleston, the oldest city in South Carolina, was founded in 1670. They're located about 100 miles apart, so it's easy to visit both on one trip.
What's the third oldest city in South Carolina?
GeorgetownGeorgetown was formally founded in 1729, making it South Carolina's third oldest city following Charleston and Beaufort.
What is the leading cause of death in South Carolina?
South CarolinaFertility Rate55.9 (births per 1,000 women 15-44 years of age)Divorce Rate2.0 (divorces per 1,000)Leading Cause of DeathHeart DiseaseDrug Overdose Death Rate34.9 (per 100,000)¹Firearm Injury Death Rate22.0 (per 100,000)¹7 more rows
What are the 5 oldest cities in the United States?
10 Oldest Cities in the U.S.St. Augustine, Florida (1565) ... Jamestown, Virginia (1607) ... Santa Fe, New Mexico (1607) ... Hampton, Virginia (1610) ... Kecoughtan, Virginia (1610) ... Newport News, Virginia (1613) ... Albany, New York (1614) ... Jersey City, New Jersey (1617)More items...•
What is the oldest town in South Carolina?
Established in 1732, Camden is South Carolina's oldest "inland" town. It was the main inland trade center for Carolina in the 1700s. 4. Georgetown, SC - officially the state's 3rd oldest city. The town of Georgetown was formed in 1729 and in 1732 Georgetown opened the port, giving traders a second point of commerce.
Where was the first boat docked in South Carolina?
This 17th century model of the type of boat that landed here in 1670 is docked at Charles Towne Landing, the original site of the first established area in South Carolina. If you’re a history buff you must love living in the Palmetto State.
What is the capital of Santee Cooper Country?
Moncks Corner, SC - the Capital of Santee Cooper Country. First settled in the 1600s by refugee French Protestant Huguenots, this town was eventually named after a local land baron, Thomas Monck. Believe it or not, in 1999 Moncks Corner trademarked the moniker, "Capital of Santee Cooper Country.".
Why is Williamsburg called Kingstree?
However, a super interesting thing about the history of Kingstree is when the name got changed from Williamsburg (now the name of the county seat) to The Kings Tree because there was a very tall white pine on the edge of the establishment that was "claimed" on behalf of the King. Tall white pines were used for ship masts and this one was unusually tall. Thus, Williamsburg became known as "The Kings Tree," and now just, "Kingstree."
Where was Charles Towne located?
The original settlement of Charles Towne was actually a few miles from its present-day location. The town just up and moved from what is now Charles Towne Landing to the peninsula. And in 1789 the name was altered to Charleston.
When was the first land battle of the American Revolutionary War?
The first land battle of the American Revolutionary War was fought in Ninety Six in November of 1775. Some 200 years later Congress established the Ninety Six National Historic Site where visitors can experience a hands on reenactment of the historic battle. 6. Kingstree, SC - A Sportsman's Paradise.
Is there any doubt about the allure history has to most South Carolinians and visitors to our state?
There’s no doubt about the allure history has to most South Carolinians and visitors to our state.
What is the oldest city in South Carolina?
It is near the center of the Cofitachequi chiefdom that existed in the 1500s. In 1730, Camden became part of a township plan ordered by King George II. Kershaw County’s official web site states, ‘Originally laid out in 1732 as the town of Fredericksburg in the Wateree River swamp (south of the present town) when King George II ordered eleven inland townships established along South Carolina’s rivers, few of the area settlers chose to take lots surveyed in the town, choosing the higher ground to the north. The township soon disappeared.’ In 1758, Joseph Kershaw, from Yorkshire, England came into the township, established a store and renamed the town Pine Tree Hill. Camden became the main inland trade center in the colony. Kershaw suggested that the town be renamed Camden, in honor of Lord Camden, a champion of colonial rights in the British Parliament.
How We Determined When A City Was Founded In South Carolina… Or Is It Settled?
Put differently, there’s no official data set from the Census that contains when every place in America was founded.
What year was Georgetown founded?
Some historians [who?]claim that American history began in the town in 1526 with the earliest settlement in North America by Europeans with African slaves. It is believed that in that year the Spanish, under Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón, founded a colony on Waccamaw Neck called San Miguel de Guadalupe. The colony failed for multiple reasons, including a fever epidemic and a revolt of the African slaves, who fled to join the Cofitachiqui Indians in the area. Having failed as farmers, the surviving Spanish built a ship from local cypress and oak trees and sailed to the Spice Islands in Maritime Southeast Asia.
Who settled the South Carolina back country?
In contrast to the Tidewater, the back country was settled later in the 18th century, chiefly by Scots-Irish and North British migrants, who had quickly moved down from Pennsylvania and Virginia. The immigrants from Ulster, the Scottish lowlands, and the north of England (the border counties) composed the largest group from the British Isles before the Revolution. They came mostly in the 18th century, later than other colonial immigrants. Such "North Britons were a large majority in much of the South Carolina upcountry." The character of this environment was "well matched to the culture of the British borderlands."
When was South Carolina discovered?
South Carolina was one of the original thirteen states of the United States. European exploration of the area began in April 1540, with the Hernando de Soto expedition, who unwittingly introduced new Eurasian diseases that decimated the local Native American populations, because they lacked immunity.
Why did South Carolina indigo have a mediocre reputation?
Carolina indigo had a mediocre reputation because Carolina planters failed to achieve consistent high quality production standards. Carolina indigo nevertheless succeeded in displacing French and Spanish indigo in the British and in some continental markets, reflecting the demand for cheap dyestuffs from manufacturers of low-cost textiles, the fastest-growing sectors of the European textile industries at the onset of industrialization.
How many tribes were there in South Carolina?
By the time of the first European exploration, twenty-nine tribes or nations of Native Americans, divided by major language families, lived within the boundaries of what became South Carolina. Algonquian -speaking tribes lived in the low country, Siouan and Iroquoian -speaking in the Piedmont and uplands, respectively.
What was the name of the Spanish town in South Carolina?
By the end of the 16th century, the Spanish and French had left the area of South Carolina after several reconnaissance missions, expeditions and failed colonization attempts, notably the short-living French outpost of Charlesfort followed by the Spanish town of Santa Elena on modern-day Parris Island between 1562 and 1587. In 1629, Charles I, King of England, granted his attorney general a charter to everything between latitudes 36 and 31. He called this land the Province of Carolana, which would later be changed to "Carolina" for pronunciation, after the Latin form of his own name.
How did the reconstruction government help the South?
Reconstruction government established public education for the first time, and new charitable institutions, together with improved prisons. There was corruption, but it was mostly white Southerners who benefited, particularly by investments to develop railroads and other infrastructure. Taxes had been exceedingly low before the war because the planter class refused to support programs such as education welfare. The exigencies of the postwar period caused the state debt to climb rapidly. When Republicans came to power in 1868, the debt stood at $5.4 million. By the time Republicans lost control in 1877, state debt had risen to $18.5 million.
What happened to South Carolina after the Civil War?
The Civil War would ruin the states economy, and continued over reliance on agriculture as its main economic base, made South Carolina one of the poorer states economically in the country.
What is the oldest settlement in Nebraska?
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Bellevue is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in Nebraska. It was first established as a trading post in 1822, and moved to its current location in 1835.
What is the oldest town in Minnesota?
Some believe Stillwater, Minnesota, is the state's oldest town because it was incorporated in 1854, while Wabasha wasn't incorporated until 1858. But according to the year of first settlement, the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien drafted in 1830 establishes that Wabasha preceded it.
Why was Fort Gibson founded?
Fort Gibson was founded in 1824 as a result of the rising tensions between the Cherokee and Osage Nations — the US felt they had to move their outpost further out west.
When was Vincennes established?
Vincennes was a French fur trading post when it was established in 1732 along the Wabash River, according to the city's official website.
When did the Dutch settle in Lewes?
The Dutch first settled in Lewes in 1631, according to its Chamber of Commerce. It calls itself "The first town in the first state, " since Delaware was the first to ratify the Constitution.
When was Arkansas Post established?
Google Maps. Arkansas Post was technically the first city in Arkansas, having been established as a trading post by the French in 1686. But it was mostly destroyed in the Civil War and has since become a state park, according to The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.
Who built Fort Crevecoeur?
French settlers Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle and Henri de Tonti built Fort Crevecoeur on the bank the Illinois River in 1680, according to the Peoria Historical Society. Soon, a village grew around it.
Who explored the coast of South Carolina?
Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to explore the coastal regions of present-day South Carolina. In 1521, Francisco Gordillo sailed to the Carolina coast from his base in Santo Domingo; no settlement was attempted, but several dozen Native Americans were enslaved.
What were the immigrants in South Carolina?
In the early years of the 18th century, southern Carolina became home to thousands of immigrants — Germans, Swiss, Welsh, Scots-Irish and migrants from colonies to the north.
What was the economic base of the Carolinian colony?
By the late 1680s, the colony was beginning to enjoy prosperity, especially in the coastal areas. Its economic base depended initially on the fur trade, which fostered generally good relations between the Carolinian settlers and the local Indian tribes. Tobacco production flourished briefly, but was supplanted by rice.
When was the settlement of Albemarle Point?
A small settlement under the authority of proprietor Cooper was started in 1670 at Albemarle Point; 10 years later the settlement was moved a short distance to the peninsula between the immodestly named Ashley and Cooper rivers.
When did South Carolina become Georgia?
In 1729, northern and southern Carolina were formally divided, and in 1732 the southern portion of South Carolina separated and became Georgia a year later.
When did the Spanish establish their base in Florida?
Nonetheless, later in the 1500s the Spanish established new bases in Florida and spread northward with a string of small settlements. The French presence was established in 1562 when Jean Ribault brought a group of French Huguenots to Parris Island, but Spanish power in the area rendered the colony untenable.

Overview
Pre-Columbian history
The earliest date of human habitation in what would later become South Carolina is disputed. Since the 1930s, the prevailing theory concerning the Settlement of the Americas is that the first human inhabitants were the Clovis people, who are thought to have appeared approximately 13,500 years ago. Artifacts of the Clovis people have been found throughout most of the United States and beyond, including South Carolina. Since the early 21st century, however, this standar…
Colonial period
By the end of the 16th century, the Spanish and French had left the area of South Carolina after several reconnaissance missions, expeditions and failed colonization attempts, notably the short-living French outpost of Charlesfort followed by the Spanish town of Santa Elena on modern-day Parris Island between 1562 and 1587. In 1629, Charles I, king of England, granted his attorn…
Revolutionary War
Prior to the American Revolution, the British began taxing American colonies to raise revenue. Residents of South Carolina were outraged by the Townsend Acts that taxed tea, paper, wine, glass, and oil. To protest the Stamp Act, South Carolina sent the wealthy rice planter Thomas Lynch, twenty-six-year-old lawyer John Rutledge, and Christopher Gadsden to the Stamp Act Congress, held in 1…
Antebellum South Carolina
South Carolina led opposition to national law during the Nullification Crisis. It was the first state to declare its secession in 1860 in response to the election of Abraham Lincoln. Dominated by major planters, it was the only state in which slaveholders composed a majority of the legislature.
After the Revolutionary War, numerous slaves were freed. Most of the norther…
American Civil War
Few white South Carolinians considered abolition of slavery as an option. Having lived as a minority among the majority-black slaves, they feared that, if freed, the slaves would try to "Africanize" the whites' cherished society and culture. This was what they believed had happened after slave revolutions in Haiti, in which numerous whites and free people of color were killed during the revolution. So…
Reconstruction era (1865–1877)
African Americans had long composed the majority of the state's population. However, in 1860, only 2 percent of the state's black population were free; most were mulattos or free people of color, with ties of kinship to white families. They were well established as more educated and skilled artisans in Charleston and some other cities despite social restrictions, and sometimes as landowners an…
Conservative rule (1877–1890)
The Democrats were led by General Wade Hampton III and other former Confederate veterans who espoused a return to the policies of the antebellum period. Known as the Conservatives, or the Bourbons, they favored a minimalist approach by the government and a conciliatory policy towards blacks while maintaining white supremacy. Also of interest to the Conservatives was the res…