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StudySC – Know where you live.

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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Black and white photo of Richard Harvey Cain

Richard Harvey Cain

Minister, abolitionist, legislator

John Lawson wearing a powdered wig.

John Lawson

John Lawson was a British explorer, naturalist, and writer who explored the Carolina backcountry.

James F. Byrnes wearing a dark suit and patterned tie.

James F. Byrnes

Born in Charleston, SC, James F. Byrnes was a U.S. Secretary of State, Associate Justice U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Senator, and Governor of South Carolina from 1951-1955.

A middle-aged man wearing a wide brim hat and holding a guitar.

Cool John Ferguson

Cool John Ferguson is a blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for playing his guitar "upside down."

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.

A red bricked house.

Cherokee County

Cherokee County was named after the Cherokee Indians who once made it their home.

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 large brick building with a gray roof and a clock tower.

Greenwood County

Greenwood County takes its name from its county seat, Greenwood. The city of Greenwood was named around 1824 for the plantation of an early resident, John McGehee.

South Carolina Facts

A golden mace with decorative details.

The Mace of the South Carolina House of Representatives

The South Carolina House of Representatives Mace is the oldest legislative mace in use in the United States. The Mace was made in London by Magdalen Feline in 1756.  Upon the opening of the session, the Sergeant-at-Arms will bear the mace ahead of the Speaker and lay it upon a specially prepared rack on the rostrum in front of the Speaker. The Mace remains on its rack until recess or adjournment. 

South Carolina Glossary

fluffy white material coming out of a dark purplish plant

lint

(noun) - fibrous coat of thick hairs covering the seeds of the cotton plant