Asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety in the fall of 1775 to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops, Col. William Moultrie chose a blue which matched the color of their uniforms and a crescent which reproduced the silver emblem worn on the front of their caps. The palmetto tree was added later to represent Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776.

Population, 2006 estimate 4,321,249, White persons 68.4%, Black persons 28.9%, American Indian and Alaska Native persons 0.4%, Asian persons 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.1%, Persons reporting two or more races 0.8%, Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin 3.3%.