6 Interesting and Unique Historical Facts About South Carolina

Remember sitting in history class learning about the great state of South Carolina? We know, that was years ago. Pretty much history itself. Whether you remember or are a little hazy, here are a few unique historical facts about South Carolina.

Carolina

Up until 1712 North and South Carolina were actually one single colony called Carolina. However, due to cultural differences, the Carolinas had a tough breakup and decided to call it quits. The separation was legal as of 1712.

Revolutionary War

Do you remember when we fought our mother country to become independent? It was during the American Revolutionary War back in the 1700s. Well, 137 of those battles happened right here in South Carolina!

Secession

In 1860, during the Civil War, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Eventually, ten other states followed to create what we call today the Confederate States of America.

The Palmetto State

Today South Carolina is often referred to as the Palmetto State, however, if you were to drive in downtown Charleston a majority of the South Carolina license plates would read “ The Iodine State.” This was an effort by the South Carolina Natural Resources Commission to publicize the high levels of the chemical element found in the state’s fruits and vegetables. Luckily, it didn’t stick!

Movies Galore

We all know how beautiful our state is, which is probably why so many movies are filmed here. Forrest Gump is an all-time favorite where Port Royal was used for that heart-wrenching shrimp boat hurricane scene. Who could forget the romantic love story Dear John? Scenes were shot at the Isle of Palms’ fishing pier, College of Charleston’s Randolph Hall, The Charleston Air Force Base, and the Citadels infirmary.

Odd Laws in South Carolina

There are some pretty crazy laws in South Carolina, like if a man proposes marriage to a woman, by law the marriage must take place.  Or, that it’s actually illegal to keep a horse in a bathtub. We’d love to see a house with a bathtub that would fit a horse.

Class is dismissed. Taking these tidbits with us to the next Thursday trivia meetup.