History of South Carolina in Timeline

South Carolina, located in the Southeastern, South Atlantic, and Deep South regions of the U.S., borders North Carolina, the Atlantic Ocean, and Georgia. It's the 11th-smallest and 23rd-most populous state, with over 5.1 million residents in 2020 and a 2019 GDP of $213.45 billion. Comprising 46 counties, its capital is Columbia, while Charleston is the most populous city. The Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metropolitan area is the largest combined statistical area in the state.

1900: African Americans Without Political Representation

In 1900, the census showed that African American citizens, comprising over 58% of South Carolina's population, lacked political representation due to disenfranchisement in the Jim Crow society.

1910: Start of the Great Migration

From 1910 to 1970, millions of African Americans migrated from South Carolina and other Southern states during the Great Migration in search of jobs and greater freedom.

1910: Tillman's Influence in State Politics

From the 1890s to 1910, Governor "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman controlled Democratic state politics with support from poor white farmers.

1920: South Carolina Initially Rejects Nineteenth Amendment

In 1920, South Carolina was one of several states that initially rejected the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote.

1924: Virginia Adopts One-Drop Law

In 1924, Virginia legislators adopted a one-drop law, overlooking the mixed ancestry of some white-identifying individuals in their state.

1930: White Majority Population in South Carolina

By 1930, South Carolina had a white majority population for the first time since 1708.

1954: Hurricane Hazel

In 1954, Hurricane Hazel was one of the memorable hurricanes to hit South Carolina.

July 1, 1969: South Carolina Ratifies Nineteenth Amendment

On July 1, 1969, the South Carolina legislature ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote.

1970: End of the Great Migration

From 1910 to 1970, millions of African Americans migrated from South Carolina and other Southern states during the Great Migration in search of jobs and greater freedom.

1975: Home Rule Passed

In 1975, home rule was passed, granting counties representative government.

1976: Jimmy Carter Carries South Carolina

In 1976, Jimmy Carter was the last Democratic candidate to carry South Carolina.

1980: Republican Presidential Election Victory

Since the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, South Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential election.

January 21, 1985: Lowest Recorded Temperature

On January 21, 1985, the lowest recorded temperature of −19 °F (−28 °C) was observed at Caesars Head.

1989: Hurricane Hugo

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo was one of the memorable hurricanes to hit South Carolina.

1990: Base Year for Emissions Reduction Goal

South Carolina's Climate, Energy, and Commerce Committee Final Report in 2008 recommended a voluntary goal of reducing emissions to 5% below 1990 levels by 2020.

1993: Charleston Battery Founded

In 1993, the Charleston Battery of the second-division USL Championship was founded, becoming the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States.

1994: BMW Production Facility

Since 1994, BMW has had a production facility in Spartanburg County near Greer.

1995: Carolina Panthers' Inaugural Season

In 1995, the Carolina Panthers played their inaugural season's home games at Clemson's Memorial Stadium.

1996: Zapp Group Operations

Since 1996, the Zapp Group has been operating in Summerville near Charleston.

2000: Foreign-Born Population Growth

According to the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies, South Carolina's foreign-born population grew faster than any other state between 2000 and 2005.

2005: Foreign-Born Population Growth

2005: Fritz Hollings Leaves Office

In 2005, Fritz Hollings, the most recent Democratic senator to serve South Carolina, left office.

2008: Climate, Energy, and Commerce Committee Final Report Released

In 2008, South Carolina released its Climate, Energy, and Commerce Committee Final Report recommending emissions reductions to 5% below 1990 levels by 2020.

2009: Arts Participation in South Carolina

According to a 2009 statewide poll by the University of South Carolina Institute for Public Service and Policy Research, 67% of residents had participated in the arts in some form during the past year, with citizens participating in the arts 14 times on average.

2010: Largest Religion in 2010

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), in 2010, the largest religion in South Carolina was Christianity, with the Southern Baptist Convention having the most adherents. Baháʼí was the second-largest religion in the state.

2010: Foreign Direct Investment in 2010

In 2010, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) brought $1.06 billion to the South Carolina economy.

2010: Population Increase Since 2010

In 2019, South Carolina had an estimated population of 5,148,714, which is an increase of 523,350, or 11.31%, since the year 2010.

2010: Reference Point for Population Increase

The 2020 census determined the state had a population of 5,118,425, a 10.7% percentage increase since the 2010 census.

2011: Boeing Opens Manufacturing Facility in Charleston

In 2011, Boeing opened an aircraft manufacturing facility at Charleston International Airport, serving as the final assembly site for the 787 Dreamliner.

March 2012: Nonfarm Jobs in March 2012

As of March 2012, South Carolina had 1,852,700 nonfarm jobs with a significant portion in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation, utilities, education, and health services.

June 29, 2012: Highest Recorded Temperature

On June 29, 2012, the highest recorded temperature of 113 °F (45 °C) was observed in Johnston and Columbia.

2012: State Debt in 2012

In 2012, South Carolina's state debt was calculated to be $22.9 billion, or $7,800 per taxpayer.

November 20, 2014: South Carolina Legalizes Same-Sex Marriages

On November 20, 2014, South Carolina became the 35th state to legalize same-sex marriages after a federal court ruling.

2014: Repeal of Common Core

In 2014, South Carolina repealed the Common Core standards in its schools.

2014: South Carolina Supreme Court Ruling on Education

In 2014, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that the state had failed to provide a "minimally adequate" education to children in all parts of the state, as required by the state's constitution.

December 2016: South Carolina's School Bus Fleet

As of December 2016, South Carolina maintained a 5,582-bus fleet. The average vehicle in service being fifteen years old having logged 236,000 miles.

January 5, 2017: EPA Awarded South Carolina to Replace School Buses

On January 5, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded South Carolina more than $1.1 million to replace 57 school buses with new cleaner models through its Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program.

2018: Top Countries of Origin for Immigrants

As of 2018, the top countries of origin for South Carolina's immigrants were Mexico, India, Germany, Honduras, and the Philippines.

2018: Hurricane Florence

In 2018, Hurricane Florence was one of the memorable hurricanes to hit South Carolina.

2019: Estimated Population in 2019

In 2019, South Carolina had an estimated population of 5,148,714, an increase of 64,587 from the prior year and 523,350 since 2010.

2019: GDP in 2019

In 2019, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of South Carolina was $213.45 billion.

2020: Religion in 2020

According to the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, Christianity remained the largest religion at approximately 74% of the population in South Carolina. The irreligious community was 18% of the total population. Per ARDA's 2020 religion census, Southern Baptists remained the majority with 816,405 adherents, and Roman Catholics had 407,840 adherents, followed by United Methodists at 242,467.

2020: Native American Population Identified in 2020

In 2020, 24,303 people in South Carolina identified as Native American alone, and 83,808 identified as Native American in combination with one or more other races.

2020: Population Recorded in 2020 Census

In 2020, the recorded population of South Carolina was 5,118,425 according to the census.

2020: Election Law Journal Ranking

In a 2020 study, South Carolina was ranked by the Election Law Journal as the 7th hardest state for citizens to vote in.

2020: Target Year for Emissions Reduction Goal

South Carolina's Climate, Energy, and Commerce Committee Final Report in 2008 recommended a voluntary goal of reducing emissions to 5% below 1990 levels by 2020.

2020: Racial Makeup of the State

The racial makeup of South Carolina in the 2020 census was 63.4% White, 25.0% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 5.8% from two or more races.

July 1, 2021: Earthquake Activity

Between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, South Carolina experienced 74 recorded earthquakes, with six exceeding a magnitude of 3.

July 1, 2022: Earthquake Activity

Between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, South Carolina experienced 74 recorded earthquakes, with six exceeding a magnitude of 3.

November 8, 2022: Registered Voters

As of November 8, 2022, there were 3,740,743 registered voters in South Carolina.

2022: Homeless Population Estimate

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 3,608 homeless people in South Carolina.

2022: Low Percentage of Women in State Legislature

As of 2022, South Carolina had one of the lowest percentages of women in the state legislature among all states, at 17.6%.

2022: Education Statistics in 2022

In 2022, South Carolina had 1,167 K–12 schools in 79 school districts with an enrollment of 751,660, and spent $11,747 per public school student.

2022: Health Care Ranking in South Carolina

In 2022, South Carolina was ranked 37th out of the 50 states for overall health care by The Commonwealth Fund. The state's teen birth rate was 53 births per 1,000 teens, and the infant mortality rate was 9.4 deaths per 1,000 births.

2022: Religious Affiliations in 2022

In 2022, the Public Religion Research Institute estimated that Christians increased to 76% of the population, while the unaffiliated formed 20% of the state's population in South Carolina.

April 2023: Winthrop University Poll Results

In April 2023, a Winthrop University poll found that an overwhelming majority of South Carolinians supported legalizing medical marijuana and believed that a separation between church and state was "critical".

2023: Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Metropolitan Area Population in 2023

In 2023, the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area had an estimated population of 1,590,636, making it the most populous combined metropolitan area in the state.

2023: Average SAT Score in 2023

In 2023, the average SAT score in South Carolina was 1028, which is in line with the national average.

2024: Presidential election

As of the 2024 presidential election, South Carolina is the only state located on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States that has never been won by a Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 21st Century.

2024: Hurricane Helene

In 2024, Hurricane Helene was one of the memorable hurricanes to hit South Carolina.

2025: Gross State Product and Per Capita Income in 2025

According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2025, South Carolina's gross state product (GSP) was $378.830 billion and its per capita personal income was $63,179.