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Explore South Carolina through StudySC! Learn about your community, South Carolina history, and the people who have made a significant impact on the state and the world.

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Joel Roberts Poinsett portrait. Black and white.

Joel Roberts Poinsett

Joel Roberts Poinsett was a US Representative, the first US Minister to Mexico, and US Secretary of War under Martin Van Buren.

Black and white photograph of Nina McKinney

Nina Mae McKinney

Nina Mae Mckinney was one of the first Black leading actresses in Hollywood.

Preston Brooks in a dark suit with a with a dark necktie.

Preston Brooks

Born in Roseland, SC (Edgefield County), Preston Brooks was a Democratic congressman from South Carolina who brutally beat Charles Sumner, a Senator from Massachusetts, in the US Senate chamber.

Buck Baker wearing a light and dark color racing helmet

Buck Baker

Born in Richburg, SC, Elzie Wylie Baker Sr., better known as Buck Baker, was a stock car racer. He was the first driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier series championships. 

A brick building with white sliding at the top of the front entrance.

Marion County

Marion County and its county seat, the town of Marion, were named for Revolutionary War general Francis Marion (1732-1795), known as the "Swamp Fox."

A large white house with huge columns, dark windows, and gray stairs that leads out to a manicured green lawn.

Aiken County

Aiken County and its county seat, the town of Aiken, were named for William Aiken (1806-1831), president of the South Carolina Railroad.

A wooden triangle held up by a wooden contraption with two long metal poles extending from wooden triangle.

Dillon County

Dillon County was named for James W. Dillon (1826-1913), a prominent local resident.

A red covered bridge with a white metal roof.

Greenville County

The origins of the name Greenville County are uncertain, but the county was probably named for Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene (1742-1786) or for an early resident, Isaac Green.

South Carolina Facts

South Carolina State Seal

South Carolina State Seal

South Carolina's State Seal was designed by William Henry Drayton and Arthur Middleton in 1776. John Rutledge, the President of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, used the Seal for the first time on May 22, 1777. The current seal is made up of two elliptical areas linked by branches of the palmetto tree. The left oval is the palmetto tree with a fallen oak at the base. The right oval is the goddess Spes (Hope) walking on the beach at dawn over discarded weapons.

South Carolina Glossary

A yellowed map of North and South America

New World

(noun) - a name used for the Western Hemisphere by Europeans, specifically referring to North and South America