South Carolina : While I Breathe, I Hope

South Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on May 23, 1788. South Carolina was the first state to vote to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. The American Civil War began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a U.S. military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. South Carolina was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1865.

South Carolina is bordered by North Carolina to the north and Georgia to the south. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the east of South Carolina, while the Savannah River forms its western border with Georgia. South Carolina has a land area of 32,766 square miles (84,926 km2), making it the 40th largest state in the United States. South Carolina is the 27th most populous state with a population of 5,024,369 as of 2019.

The capital and largest city in South Carolina is Columbia. Other notable cities in South Carolina include Charleston, Greenville, and Spartanburg. South Carolina’s economy is driven by agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. The state is also home to several military bases, including Fort Jackson, Shaw Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.

South Carolina is known for its beaches, golf courses, historical landmarks, and friendly people. Some of the most popular tourist attractions in South Carolina include Myrtle beach.

Hilton Head Island, and Charleston. South Carolina is also home to several professional sports teams, including the Carolina Panthers (NFL), the Charlotte Hornets (NBA), and the Charleston RiverDogs (minor league baseball).

South Carolina has a long history of racism and discrimination against minorities, especially African Americans. Jim Crow laws were enacted in South Carolina after the Civil War to restrict the rights of blacks. These laws mandated segregation in public places and limited blacks’ ability to vote or hold office. In recent years, South Carolina has taken steps to address its racist past, but much work still needs to be done. The state flag and other symbols of the Confederacy are still prominently displayed in many public places, and racism continues to be a problem in South Carolina. South Carolina must continue to work to overcome its racist past and ensure that all its citizens are treated equally.

South Carolina, like much of the United States, has a long and dark history of racism. The state was founded in 1663, and from its inception, the economy was built on the backs of enslaved Africans. The enslavement of Africans continued for over 200 years in South Carolina until the end of the Civil War. Even after the end of slavery, the state implemented policies and practices that continued to oppress and marginalize Black people.

Enslavement of Africans

In the 17th and 18th centuries, South Carolina’s economy was centered around rice and indigo production. These crops required intensive labor, and enslaved Africans were brought in to do the work. The slave trade in South Carolina was one of the most active in the United States, with the majority of enslaved Africans coming from West and Central Africa. The conditions on the slave ships were horrific, with many people dying on the journey. Once in South Carolina, enslaved Africans were subjected to brutal conditions, including physical and sexual violence, and forced labor.

Slavery was not only an economic institution in South Carolina, but it was also a social and political one. White South Carolinians viewed themselves as superior to Black people, and slavery reinforced this belief. Laws were put in place to control the lives of enslaved Africans, including laws against education and laws that prohibited enslaved people from gathering in groups. These laws were designed to keep enslaved people powerless and to prevent them from organizing against their oppressors.

Civil War and Reconstruction

The Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery, and South Carolina was at the center of the conflict. The state was the first to secede from the Union in 1860, and the first shots of the war were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The Confederacy, which South Carolina was a part of, fought to preserve slavery and the white supremacist ideology that supported it. The Union, on the other hand, fought to end slavery and to establish a more equal society.

The Union’s victory in the Civil War led to the end of slavery in the United States, but it did not lead to immediate equality for Black people. During the period of Reconstruction, which lasted from 1865 to 1877, the federal government attempted to rebuild the South and establish a more just society. However, white South Carolinians resisted these efforts and worked to maintain their power over Black people. They implemented a system of sharecropping, which kept many Black people in a state of debt and poverty, and passed laws that restricted the rights of Black people, including the infamous “Black Codes.”

Jim Crow Laws

After Reconstruction, white South Carolinians took further steps to cement their power and maintain racial segregation. They passed Jim Crow laws, which institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination. These laws enforced racial separation in public spaces, such as schools, buses, and restaurants. They also made it difficult for Black people to vote, through the use of poll taxes, literacy tests, and other methods. The Jim Crow system was designed to enforce white supremacy and to keep Black people in a subordinate position.

The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s challenged the Jim Crow system and fought for equality for Black people. In South Carolina, activists such as Septima Clark, Modjeska Simkins, and Matthew J. Perry worked to organize and mobilize Black communities. They faced violence and repression from white authorities, including the police and the Ku Klux Klan.

One of the most significant events of the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina was the Orangeburg Massacre of 1968. During a protest against racial segregation at a bowling alley, police opened fire on the demonstrators, killing three Black students and injuring many others. The threat and practice of racism is still a problem today.

SUNDOWN TOWNS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Sundown town, in U.S. history, a town that excluded nonwhite people—most frequently African Americans—from remaining in town after sunset.

Here is a current list of sundown towns in South Carolina. This list has been created by Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, MS. This list is a work in progress. Some cities have been confirmed as sundown towns and some are listed for other or similar reasons.

Ellenton

Folly Beach

Georgetown

Hamburg

Isle of Palms

Maryville *

Moncks Corner

Princeton

Salem

Shandon