# 4320 - 2011 First-Class Forever Stamp - Flags of Our Nation: S.Carolina

Issue Date: August 11, 2011
City: Columbus, Ohio
Printed By: Sennett Security Products

Printing Method: Photogravure
Color: multicolored

Flags of Our Nation, Set V: The Flags of Our Nation stamps issued in 2011 is the fifth group of the series. The stamps show historic state flags, as well as a “snapshot” image that shares some of each state’s character.

 

 In 1765, South Carolina protesters of the Stamp Act marched behind a blue flag with three white crescents. Their banner became the basis for the “Palmetto State” flag.

 

When the American Revolution began in 1775, troops from South Carolina needed a flag. Colonel Moultrie designed one using the blue from the soldiers’ uniforms and the crescent emblem worn on their caps. Moultrie and his men successfully defended a fort on Sullivan’s Island that was made from palmetto logs. In honor of their heroism, a palmetto tree was added to the state’s flag in 1861 and the island was renamed Moultrie Island.

 

When South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union in 1860, the new Republic of South Carolina needed a national flag. The first attempt was a gold palmetto tree with a white background. It became known as the “2-day flag” when the color of the tree was changed to white and the background to blue. 

 

The new flag was flown over Fort Sumter when the Confederate Army defeated Union troops on April 14, 1861. When the war ended and the Union was restored, South Carolina adopted the palmetto tree and crescent design to be used on its state flag.

 

South Carolina Admitted To The Union

Before European settlement, more than 30 Indian tribes lived in the area that became South Carolina. The main tribes were the Catawba, Cherokee, and Yamasee. These Indians built semi-permanent log homes, and the majority raised crops.

A Spanish expedition led by Francisco Gordillo explored the Carolina coast in 1521. In 1526, Lucas Vásquez de Ayllón established the first European settlement in what would become the United States. Historians believe the settlement, named San Miguel de Gualdape, was located in the Winyah Bay region of South Carolina. Ayllón brought 500 men, women, and children from Santo Domingo Island to establish the colony.

When the lords proprietors rejected attempts to increase the colony’s independence, the settlers rebelled. In 1719, King George I made South Carolina a royal colony. As such, the colonists were granted a great deal of self-government. In 1732, the southern portion of South Carolina became the colony of Georgia.

Many important battles of the War for Independence were fought in South Carolina. Much of the fighting was for control of Charleston. Colonial victories at the battles of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780, and Cowpens on January 17, 1781, turned the war against the British. In 1781, troops under General Nathaniel Greene and the South Carolina militia drove the British out of South Carolina. The British evacuated Charleston in 1782. In total, 137 battles were fought in South Carolina.

Well before the start of the Civil War, the state came into conflict with the federal government over states’ rights. South Carolina depended heavily on foreign trade. Federal tariffs discouraged foreign trade. In 1828, soon after an economic depression struck the U.S., Congress raised tariffs. This law became known as the “tariff of abominations.” Anti-federal sentiment spread throughout the state. Vice President John C. Calhoun, a South Carolinian, wrote the “South Carolina Exposition,” which claimed that no state could be bound by a law it deemed unconstitutional. When tariffs were raised again in 1832, the state passed the Ordinance of Nullification. This ordinance declared the tariff acts of 1828 and 1832 void. This action prompted President Andrew Jackson to threaten sending troops to enforce federal law. In 1833, Congress passed a compromise tariff bill, and the Ordinance of Nullification was repealed.

When the anti-slavery movement gained momentum in the North, South Carolina was the first state to threaten secession. This threat was made real after the election of President Abraham Lincoln on November 6, 1860. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Armed conflict started on April 12, 1861, when Confederate troops bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.

With the abolition of slavery, agriculture was not as profitable. Additionally, new farms in the West provided greater competition. As a result, South Carolina turned to industrial development. Around 1880, the textile industry began to flourish. An abundance of hydroelectric power and cheap labor caused many northern businesses to move to South Carolina. A number of farmers welcomed the opportunity to work in factories and mills. After the Great Depression, economic conditions quickly improved. During the mid-1900s, federally funded construction projects and the construction of military bases further improved the economy.