South Carolina Travel Guide
One of the smallest states in the Union, South Carolina has nonetheless played a central role in many of the turning points of the nation.
One of the original colonies and one of the first to declare statehood, South Carolina was also the first to get out of the union at the start of the civil war. The first battle of the war was fought at Fort Sumter - a quick victory for the Confederacy - but the ensuing conflict wrought terrible damage to the state, both during and after hostilities ceased. In the aftermath of the war the KKK were very prominent and the mood they helped create hung over the state for a century. South Carolina did not enjoy a trouble free passage through the civil rights movement of the 1960's. Even now South Carolina remains a state whose politics are definitely to the right of centre. As time passes though, the mood has softened and gradual change has begun to be seen.
However, the coastline and the string of islands that lie as a protective barrier just a short distance from the mainland, are gorgeous. Much of the population of the islands and the coastal 'Low Country' derives from freed slaves who were originally brought in to work the low lying rice fields of the area. After the war these ex slaves were given land to work but due to the lack of communication with the outside world they became slightly cut off. This isolation has led to the development of a unique culture. Gullah - as the people and their language are known - have been able to retain much of the heritage of their African forebears. Explore these islands, they have much to offer, from the golf courses of Hilton Head to the hidden beaches of Edisto Island to the oyster fishing communities of St Helena Island. The scenery is lush and Gullah society can be still be seen, in many cases largely untouched by outside influence.
For a taste of the 'Old South' as we have come to know it through the eyes of Margaret Mitchell and others, a trip to Georgetown and the plantations that surround it is certainly worthwhile.
However, Georgetown and its mansions are really only a distraction in South Carolina. Visitors come to the state for one of two reasons; either the beach and golf courses of Myrtle Beach or the magnificent city of Charleston.
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