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The Sea Islands are a chain of over a hundred tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Southeastern United States , between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns rivers along South Carolina , Georgia and Florida . The largest is Johns Island, South Carolina . Sapelo Island is home to the Gullah people. All of the islands are acutely threatened by sea level rise due to climate change .

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93-780: South Carolina ( / ˌ k ær ə ˈ l aɪ n ə / KARR -ə- LY -nə ) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States . It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia to the southwest and south across the Savannah River . Along with North Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast . South Carolina

186-603: A humid subtropical climate characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters. In the Upstate region, the climate shifts to a subtropical highland type. The eastern coastal plain is dotted with numerous salt marshes and estuaries . The southeastern Lowcountry of South Carolina includes parts of the Sea Islands , a series of barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean. There is evidence of human activities in

279-606: A royal colony in 1719. Throughout the American Revolutionary War , South Carolina witnessed significant military engagement, hosting over 200 battles and skirmishes. On May 23, 1788, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution . As a slave state , it was the first to vote for secession from the Union on December 20, 1860. Following the American Civil War , South Carolina

372-428: A 5% corporate income tax rate, no state property tax , no local income tax, no inventory tax, no sales tax on manufacturing equipment, industrial power or materials for finished products; no wholesale tax, and no unitary tax on worldwide profits. South Carolina was one of the first states to stop paying for "early elective" deliveries of babies , under either Medicaid and private insurance. The term early elective

465-539: A Hostile Act", and within weeks South Carolina became the first state to secede . On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries began shelling the Union Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, and the American Civil War began. In November of that year, the Union attacked Port Royal Sound and soon occupied Beaufort County and the neighboring Sea Islands . For the rest of the war, this area served as

558-466: A Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838–1839 about her experience on her husband's plantations in St. Simon's Island and Butler Island . The Sea Islands were known historically for the production of Sea Island cotton . After President Abraham Lincoln 's Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863, more than 5,000 slaves on Union-occupied islands obtained their freedom. In 1893,

651-499: A Union base and staging point for other operations. Whites abandoned their plantations, leaving behind about ten thousand enslaved people. Several Northern charities partnered with the federal government to help these people run the cotton farms themselves under the Port Royal Experiment . Workers were paid by the pound harvested and thus became the first enslaved people freed by the Union forces to earn wages. Although

744-651: A border state that remained with the Union while being contested by the Confederacy and Confederate government of West Virginia . Following the Reconstruction era in the 1870s, many Southeast state legislatures passed Jim Crow laws . The American segregation era spanned from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the Southeast saw many shifting changes take place population wise and economically. The Southeast started to see

837-633: A broader range of industries. By the early 21st century, the state's economy had evolved to include sectors such as aerospace , agribusiness , automotive manufacturing , and tourism. South Carolina features three primary geographic regions stretching from east to west: the Atlantic coastal plain , the Piedmont , and the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the northwestern part of Upstate South Carolina . The state predominantly experiences

930-434: A cruel injustice and the source of endless litigation, of scandal, horror, feud, and bloodshed to undertake to annul or forbid marriage for a remote, perhaps obsolete trace of Negro blood. The doors would be open to scandal, malice and greed; to statements on the witness stand that the father or grandfather or grandmother had said that A or B had Negro blood in their veins. Any man who is half a man would be ready to blow up half

1023-452: A lower percentage; the national average is 30.7%; with the highest percentage being in Nevada at 61.9%). The state can be divided into three natural geographic areas which then can be subdivided into five distinct cultural regions. The natural environment is divided from east to west by the Atlantic coastal plain , the Piedmont , and the Blue Ridge Mountains . Culturally, the coastal plain

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1116-416: A new constitution in 1895 which effectively disenfranchised almost all blacks and many poor whites by new requirements for poll taxes , residency, and literacy tests that dramatically reduced the voter rolls. By 1896, only 5,500 black voters remained on the voter registration rolls, although they constituted a majority of the state's population. The 1900 census demonstrated the extent of disenfranchisement:

1209-437: A number of notable universities, public and private, whose research exert influence globally. Chief among public universities are: There are a number of well-known private institutions, as well. Notable among these are: The region is home to the greatest number of historically black colleges and universities in the nation. The three largest in the region are: There are nine National Football League (NFL) franchises across

1302-506: A plant source of blue dye, developed by Eliza Lucas . Meanwhile, Upstate South Carolina , west of the Fall Line, was settled by small farmers and traders, who due to resource competition fought a number of wars with confederated Native American tribes westward. Colonists overthrew the proprietors' rule, seeking more direct representation. In 1712, the former Province of Carolina split into North and South Carolina. In 1719, South Carolina

1395-679: A settlement at what is now the Charlesfort-Santa Elena archaeological site on Parris Island . Many of these settlers preferred a natural life far from civilization and the atrocities of the Wars of Religion . The garrison lacked supplies, however, and the soldiers (as in the France Antarctique ) soon ran away. The French returned two years later but settled in present-day Florida rather than South Carolina. Sixty years later, in 1629, King Charles I of England established

1488-586: A spur of new economic growth in the 1930s, which stemmed from New Deal policies such as the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Fair Labor Standards Act instituting a minimum wage for the entire nation. World War II further helped growth within the Southeast, as military bases and military production drew workers from farming or low-wage industries into a new economy. With farming mechanization picking up to speed in

1581-540: A trade route for mill towns. The northwestern part of Piedmont is also known as the Foothills. The Cherokee Parkway is a scenic driving route through this area. This is where Table Rock State Park is located. Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States , also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast , is a geographical region of the United States located in

1674-459: Is abundant across the southeastern United States in summer, as the rainfall often comes in quick, but intense downpours. The mid-South, especially Tennessee, and the northern halves of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, have maximum monthly rainfall amounts in winter and spring, owing to copious Gulf moisture and clashes between warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air from Canada during

1767-746: Is also an NCAA Division I conference made up of Southeastern college teams, including the: Alabama Crimson Tide , Arkansas Razorbacks , Auburn Tigers , Florida Gators , Georgia Bulldogs , Kentucky Wildcats , LSU Tigers , Ole Miss Rebels , Mississippi State Bulldogs , South Carolina Gamecocks , Tennessee Volunteers , and Vanderbilt Commodores . The Sugar Bowl , Orange Bowl , Peach Bowl , Citrus Bowl , and Music City Bowl , are notable college football bowls held in Southeastern cities. 34°N 85°W  /  34°N 85°W  / 34; -85 Sea Islands Settled by indigenous cultures thousands of years ago,

1860-463: Is defined as a labor induction or Cesarean section between 37 and 39 weeks. The change was intended to result in healthier babies and fewer costs for the state of South Carolina. On November 20, 2014, South Carolina became the 35th state to legalize same-sex marriages , when a federal court ordered the change. As of 2022, South Carolina had one of the lowest percentages among all states of women in state legislature, at 17.6% (only five states had

1953-532: Is relatively flat and the soil is composed predominantly of sand, silt, and clay. Areas with better drainage make excellent farmland, though some land is swampy. An unusual feature of the coastal plain is a large number of low-relief topographic depressions named Carolina bays . The bays tend to be oval, lining up in a northwest to southeast orientation. The eastern portion of the coastal plain contains many salt marshes and estuaries , as well as natural ports such as Georgetown and Charleston . The natural areas of

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2046-768: Is split into the Lowcountry and the Pee Dee region. While, the upper Piedmont region is referred to as the Piedmont and the lower Piedmont region is referred to as the Midlands. The area surrounding the Blue Ridge Mountains is known as the Upstate . The Atlantic Coastal Plain makes up two-thirds of the state. Its eastern border is the Sea Islands , a chain of tidal and barrier islands . The border between

2139-430: Is the 40th-largest and 23rd-most populous U.S. state with a recorded population of 5,118,425 according to the 2020 census . In 2019, its GDP was $ 213.45 billion. South Carolina is composed of 46 counties . The capital is Columbia with a population of 136,632 in 2020; while its most populous city is Charleston with a 2020 population of 150,227. The Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC Combined Statistical Area

2232-527: Is the most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, with an estimated 2023 population of 1,590,636. South Carolina derives its name from King Charles I of England , who was instrumental in establishing the English colony, with Carolus being the Latin equivalent of "Charles". The Province of South Carolina was officially created in 1712. As one of the original Thirteen Colonies , it transitioned to

2325-713: The Province of Carolina by granting the same land to eight Lords Proprietors in return for their financial and political assistance in restoring him to the throne in 1660. Anthony Ashley Cooper , one of the Lord Proprietors, planned the Grand Model for the Province of Carolina and wrote the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina , which laid the basis for the future colony. His utopia

2418-773: The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia , which declared independence from the British Crown , which was established with the colonies' victory over the British in the American Revolutionary War . During the American Civil War , the Confederate States of America consisted of the southeastern states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Texas

2511-726: The Spanish Empire . In 1541, Hernando de Soto journeyed through the southeast and crossed the Mississippi River . The region hosted the first permanent European settlement in North America , with the Kingdom of England establishing Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Four southeast states, Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , and Virginia , were among the Thirteen Colonies who sent delegates to

2604-727: The Thirteen Colonies . On March 26, 1776, the colony adopted the Constitution of South Carolina , electing John Rutledge as the state's first president. In February 1778, South Carolina became the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation , the initial governing document of the United States, and in May 1788, South Carolina ratified the United States Constitution , becoming the eighth state to enter

2697-689: The United States Virgin Islands , and Virginia . There is no official United States Census Bureau definition of the Southeastern United States. They instead divide a larger region which includes Texas , Oklahoma , Maryland , Delaware , Washington, D.C., and West Virginia , designated as "the South," into three separate subregions, none of which are conventionally considered to define the Southeast. The nonprofit American Association of Geographers defines

2790-736: The Yamasee . Further west were the Cherokee, and along the Catawba River , the Catawba. These tribes were village-dwellers, relying on agriculture as their primary food source. The Cherokee lived in wattle and daub houses made with wood and clay, roofed with wood or thatched grass. About a dozen or more separate small tribes summered on the coast harvesting oysters and fish, and cultivating corn, peas and beans. Travelling inland as much as 50 miles (80 km) mostly by canoe, they wintered on

2883-438: The 1940s, promotion of different industries, and federal spending on defense and space programs, the Southeast saw further economic transformation in the ensuing years and decades of the 20th century. The Southeast benefitted from its business and warm climate in its population growth during the late 20th century, as it helped in attracting job seekers and retirees from other U.S. regions. Florida in particular went from being

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2976-550: The 27th most populated U.S. state in 1940 with 1.9 million residents, to being the 4th most populated U.S. state and having nearly 13 million residents in 2000 . Southeast states such as North Carolina and Georgia saw large population growth increases as well during the late 20th century. The United States Geological Survey defines Southeastern United States as including the states of Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Puerto Rico ,

3069-675: The 53 °F (12 °C) range. As one nears the Gulf of Mexico, coastal plain, and coastal areas of Georgia and the Carolinas, winters become warm, with daytime highs near or over 60 °F (16 °C). Once in Florida, daytime highs are above 70 °F (21 °C) from just south of St. Augustine on the Atlantic coast and Clearwater on the Gulf Of Mexico. Extreme southern Florida has the warmest winter temperatures (mid 70's F) in

3162-665: The 782,509 African American citizens comprised more than 58% of the state's population, but they were essentially without any political representation in the Jim Crow society. The 1895 constitution overturned local representative government, reducing the role of the counties to agents of state government, effectively ruled by the General Assembly, through the legislative delegations for each county. As each county had one state senator, that person had considerable power. The counties lacked representative government until home rule

3255-638: The Antebellum period (before the Civil War) the state's economy and population grew. Cotton became an important crop after the invention of the cotton gin . While nominally democratic, from 1790 until 1865, wealthy male landowners were in control of South Carolina. For example, a man was not eligible to sit in the State House of Representatives unless he possessed an estate of 500 acres of land and 10 Negroes, or at least 150 pounds sterling. Columbia ,

3348-797: The Atlanta area; the two largest research parks in the country: Research Triangle Park in the Triangle area of North Carolina (the world's largest) and the Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama (the world's fourth largest); corporate headquarters of Bank of America , Truist Financial , and Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina , the corporate headquarters of Verso Paper and FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee as well as

3441-499: The Charlotte area along with the sports operations headquarters and media outlets. Tracks in the region include Atlanta Motor Speedway , Bristol Motor Speedway , Charlotte Motor Speedway , Darlington Raceway , Daytona International Speedway , Homestead-Miami Speedway , Martinsville Speedway , Nashville Superspeedway , North Wilkesboro Speedway , Richmond Raceway , and Talladega Superspeedway . The southeast also hosts two of

3534-527: The Confederate Army, and are now landowners and taxpayers. Those men served creditably, and it would be unjust and disgraceful to embarrass them in this way. It is a scientific fact that there is not one full-blooded Caucasian on the floor of this convention. Every member has in him a certain mixture of   ... colored blood. The pure-blooded white has needed and received a certain infusion of darker blood to give him readiness and purpose. It would be

3627-663: The South in the Great Migration . By 1930, South Carolina had a white majority population for the first time since 1708. South Carolina was one of several states that initially rejected the Nineteenth Amendment (1920) giving women the right to vote. The South Carolina legislature later ratified the amendment on July 1, 1969. The struggle of the civil rights movement took place in South Carolina, as they did in other Southern states and elsewhere within

3720-551: The South in the period 1670 to 1715". In the 1670s, English planters from Barbados established themselves near what is now Charleston. Settlers from all over Europe built rice plantations in the South Carolina Lowcountry , east of the Atlantic Seaboard fall line . Plantation labor was done by African slaves who formed the majority of the population by 1720. Another cash crop was the indigo plant ,

3813-524: The South to have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States. In Alabama, there is the large-scale manufacturing project owned by the German steel megacorporation ThyssenKrupp , which operates a massive, state-of-the-art facility in Mobile . Even with certain states and areas in the Southeast doing well economically, many Southeast states and areas still have a high poverty rate when compared to

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3906-600: The Southeast, out of a total of ten such areas in the United States: Two others tie some areas on the margins of the Southeast to urban centers in other regions: These are the combined statistical areas of the Southeastern region which exceed 1  million in population according to the United States Census Bureau 's 2016 estimates. Note that the metropolitan areas of Tampa and Richmond are not included in any CSAs, so they are included in

3999-709: The Southeast: the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles , Miami Marlins , Tampa Bay Rays , and Washington Nationals . The Southeast has five National Hockey League (NHL) franchises: the Carolina Hurricanes , Florida Panthers , Nashville Predators , Tampa Bay Lightning , and Washington Capitals . Major League Soccer currently holds six clubs: Atlanta United FC , Charlotte FC , DC United , Inter Miami CF , Nashville SC and Orlando City SC . The majority of NASCAR teams are headquartered in

4092-417: The Southeastern United States as including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The OSBO (Organization Supporting Business Owners) uses the same states, but includes Arkansas and Louisiana. The states of Delaware and Missouri , along with the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., are also sometimes added in definitions of

4185-628: The U.S. Constitution , and free trade . In 1832, the Ordinance of Nullification declared federal tariff laws unconstitutional and not to be enforced in the state, leading to the Nullification Crisis . The federal Force Bill was enacted to use whatever military force necessary to enforce federal law in the state, bringing South Carolina back into line. An 1831 House Report from the Committee on Military Affairs noted that Before

4278-423: The U.S. nationally. In 2017, seven Southeast states were in the top ten nationwide when it came to having the highest poverty rate. Research Triangle Park in the Raleigh–Durham urban area of North Carolina, has emerged as a major hub of technology, governmental, and biotechnological research and development. The Cummings Research Park in the Huntsville, Alabama area, is the second-largest research complex in

4371-620: The Union. However, South Carolina did not regain representation in Congress until that date. Until the 1868 presidential election , South Carolina's legislature, not the voters, chose the state's electors for the presidential election. South Carolina was the last state to choose its electors in this manner. During Reconstruction, South Carolina maintained a majority-black government, which lasted until approximately 1876 when Democrats and former Confederates committed voter fraud to regain power. On October 19, 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant suspended habeas corpus in nine South Carolina counties under

4464-458: The United States is dominated by the humid subtropical climate (Cfa/Cwa). As one nears the southern portion of Florida, the climate gradually becomes tropical, as the winter season and all months have a mean temperature above 64.4 °F (18.0 °C) (the defined coldest monthly mean temperature of tropical climates). Seasonally, summers are generally hot and humid throughout the entire region. The Bermuda High pumps hot and moist air mass from

4557-419: The United States. Winters tend to be very dry and sunny across Florida, with a gradual increase in winter rainfall with increasing latitude, especially west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Southeast economically has changed dramatically since the late 20th century. There has been a boom in its service economy , manufacturing base, high technology industries, and the financial sector. Examples of this include

4650-495: The Upstate topography and traditional community relations to resist service in the Confederate ranks. At the end of the war in early 1865, the troops of General William Tecumseh Sherman marched across the state devastating plantations and most of Columbia. South Carolina would be readmitted to the Union on July 9, 1868. In Texas vs. White (1869), the Supreme Court ruled the ordinances of secession (including that of South Carolina) were invalid, and thus those states had never left

4743-425: The area dating to about 50,000 years ago. At the time Europeans arrived, marking the end Pre-Columbian era around 1600, there were many separate Native American tribes, the largest being the Cherokee and the Catawba , with a total population being up to 20,000. Up the rivers of the eastern coastal plain lived about a dozen tribes of Siouan background. Along the Savannah River were the Apalachee , Yuchi , and

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4836-428: The authority of the Ku Klux Klan Act . Led by Grant's Attorney General Amos T. Akerman , hundreds of Klansmen were arrested while 2,000 Klansmen fled the state. This was done to suppress Klan violence against African-American and white voters in the South. In the mid-to-late 1870s, white Democrats used paramilitary groups such as the Red Shirts to intimidate and terrorize black voters. They regained political control of

4929-429: The bar, and its commander apparently meditating an attack upon the forts, the quantity of gunpowder in the harbor, belonging to the United States, was not more than sufficient to have enabled the garrison to fire a single round. In the United States presidential election of 1860 , voting was sharply divided, with the South voting for the Southern Democrats and the North for Abraham Lincoln 's Republican Party . Lincoln

5022-426: The coastal plain are part of the Middle Atlantic coastal forests ecoregion . The Sandhills or Carolina Sandhills is a 10–35 mi (16–56 km) wide region within the Atlantic Coastal Plain province, along the inland margin of this province. The Carolina Sandhills are interpreted as eolian (wind-blown) sand sheets and dunes that were mobilized episodically from approximately 75,000 to 6,000 years ago. Most of

5115-410: The coastal plain, hunting deer and gathering nuts and fruit. The names of these tribes survive in place names like Edisto Island , Kiawah Island , and the Ashepoo River . The Spanish were the first Europeans in the area. From June 24 to July 14, 1521, they explored the land around Winyah Bay . On October 8, 1526, they founded San Miguel de Gualdape , near present-day Georgetown, South Carolina . It

5208-526: The cold season. In this area, December, March, or April are typically the wettest months; August to October, the driest months (for example, in Tupelo, MS , Huntsville, AL and Memphis, TN ). Winters are cool in the northern areas like Tennessee , Virginia , Maryland , and western North Carolina , with average high temperatures in the 45 °F (7 °C) range in January. Farther south, winters become milder across interior eastern North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, with average January highs in

5301-417: The commencement of the war with Great Britain, and for a long time afterwards, the State of South Carolina was almost destitute of any of the means of military protection, excepting as such could be furnished by her own resources. In the harbor of Charleston alone were there any forts, and these were in so feeble a condition, that at a period, when a British squadron was engaged in sounding the depth of water off

5394-562: The convention realized prominent white families with some African ancestry could be affected by such legislation. In terms similar to a debate in Virginia in 1853 on a similar proposal (which was dropped), George Dionysius Tillman said in opposition: If the law is made as it now stands respectable families in Aiken , Barnwell , Colleton , and Orangeburg will be denied the right to intermarry among people with whom they are now associated and identified. At least one hundred families would be affected to my knowledge. They have sent good soldiers to

5487-503: The corporate headquarters of the Coca Cola Company , Delta Airlines , the Home Depot and United Parcel Service in Atlanta , Georgia. Dillards , along with Heifer International , is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas . Walmart is also headquartered in Arkansas . In 2020, Fortune 500 companies having headquarters in the Southeast region include: 22 in Virginia, 18 in Georgia, 18 in Florida, 13 in North Carolina, and 10 in Tennessee. This economic expansion has enabled parts of

5580-402: The country. South Carolina would experience a much less violent movement than other Deep South states. This tranquil transition from a Jim Crow society occurred because the state's white and black leaders were willing to accept slow change, rather than being utterly unwilling to accept change at all. Other South Carolina political figures, like Sen. Strom Thurmond , on the other hand, were among

5673-448: The eastern portion of the Southern United States and the southern portion of the Eastern United States . The region includes a core of states that reaches north to Maryland and West Virginia , bordering the Ohio River and Mason–Dixon line , and stretches west to Arkansas and Louisiana . There is no official U.S. government definition for the region, and it is defined variably among agencies and organizations. The history of

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5766-420: The fastest-growing area of the United States economically. Multiculturalism has become more mainstream in the Southeastern states. African Americans remain a dominant demographic, at around 30% of the total population of the Southeast. Cities along this corridor from north to south include Raleigh-Durham area, Greensboro, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta, and Montgomery. Most of the southeastern part of

5859-427: The islands were selected by Spanish colonists as sites for founding of colonial missions . Historically the Spanish influenced the Guale and Mocama chiefdoms by establishing Christian missions in their major settlements, from St. Catherine's Island south to Fort George Island (at present-day Jacksonville, Florida ). The area was home to multiple plantations ; in 1863 Fanny Kemble published Journal of

5952-538: The largest cities in the Southeastern region of the United States by population, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2015: These are the metropolitan areas of the Southeastern region which exceed one million in population according to the United States Census Bureau 's 2023 estimates:as estimated by the United States Census Bureau Beyond Megalopolis by Virginia Tech 's Metropolitan Institute, an attempt to update Jean Gottmann 's work with current trends, defines two " megapolitan areas " contained within

6045-465: The lowcountry and the upcountry is defined by the Atlantic Seaboard fall line , which marks the limit of navigable rivers. Altogether, the state has a total area of 32,020.49 square miles (82,932.7 km), of which 30,060.70 square miles (77,856.9 km) is land and 1,959.79 square miles (5,075.8 km) (6.12%) is water. The Atlantic Coastal plain consists of sediments and sedimentary rocks that range in age from Cretaceous to Present. The terrain

6138-415: The lumber industry. These forests are part of the Southeastern mixed forests ecoregion. At the southeastern edge of Piedmont is the fall line , where rivers drop to the coastal plain. The fall line was an important early source of water power. Mills built to this resource encouraged the growth of several cities, including the capital, Columbia . The larger rivers are navigable up to the fall line, providing

6231-469: The nation's most radical and effective opponents of social equality and integration. During the mid-to-late 20th century, South Carolina started to see economic progress first in the textile industry and then in manufacturing. Tourism also started to form into a major industry within the state during the 20th century, especially in areas such as Myrtle Beach and Charleston . As the 21st century progresses, South Carolina has attracted new business by having

6324-437: The nation. Located in Huntsville is the Redstone Arsenal , United States Army Missile Command , the U.S. Space & Rocket Center , NASA 's Marshall Space Flight Center and other key government, military, and aerospace agencies. Tullahoma, TN contains the Arnold Air Force Base. The base is home to the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities in

6417-443: The new state capital was founded in the center of the state, and the State Legislature first met there in 1790. The town grew after it was connected to Charleston by the Santee Canal in 1800, one of the first canals in the United States. As dissatisfaction of the planters ruling class with the federal government grew, in the 1820s John C. Calhoun became a leading proponent of states' rights , limited government , nullification of

6510-400: The number of Africans imported to the colonies of the future United States during the same period. Additional enslaved Native Americans were exported from South Carolina to other U.S. colonies. The historian Alan Gallay says, "the trade in Indian slaves was at the center of the English empire's development in the American South. The trade in Indian slaves was the most important factor affecting

6603-485: The one-party Solid South following disfranchisement of blacks. In the late 19th century, South Carolina would implement Jim Crow laws which enforced racial segregation policies until the 1960s. During the early-to-mid part of the 20th century, millions of African Americans left South Carolina and other southern states for jobs, opportunities, and relative freedom in U.S. cities outside the former Confederate states. In total from 1910 to 1970, 6.5 million blacks left

6696-522: The present-day Southeastern United States dates to the dawn of civilization in approximately 11,000 BC or 13,000 BC. The earliest artifacts from the region were from the Clovis culture . Prior to the arrival of European colonialists, Native Americans occupied the region for several hundred years during the Woodland period . The first Europeans to arrive in the region were conquistadors associated with

6789-467: The province of Carolana , an area covering what is now South and North Carolina , Georgia and Tennessee . Carolana was granted to Sir Robert Heath , who intended to allow French Huguenots to settle there; however, King Charles refused to grant permission to settle to anyone who was not a member of the Anglican Church , leading to the failure of the colony. In 1663, King Charles II created

6882-411: The published luminescence ages from the sand are coincident with the last glaciation, a time when the southeastern United States was characterized by colder air temperatures and stronger winds. Much of Piedmont consists of Paleozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks, and the landscape has relatively low relief. Due to the changing economics of farming, much of the land is now reforested in loblolly pine for

6975-617: The region: the Atlanta Falcons , Baltimore Ravens , Carolina Panthers , Jacksonville Jaguars , Miami Dolphins , New Orleans Saints , Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Tennessee Titans , and Washington Commanders . The Southeast has seven National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises: the Atlanta Hawks , Charlotte Hornets , Memphis Grizzlies , Miami Heat , New Orleans Pelicans , Orlando Magic , and Washington Wizards . Major League Baseball (MLB) maintains five teams in

7068-589: The state under conservative white " Redeemers " and pro-business Bourbon Democrats . In 1877, the federal government withdrew its troops as part of the Compromise of 1877 that ended Reconstruction. The state became a hotbed of racial and economic tensions during the Populist and Agrarian movements of the 1890s. A Republican-Populist biracial coalition took power away from White Democrats temporarily. To prevent that from happening again, Democrats gained passage of

7161-410: The state was not a major battleground, the war ruined the state's economy. More than 60,000 soldiers from South Carolina served in the war, with the state losing an estimated 18,000 troops. Though no regiments of Southern Unionists were formed in South Carolina due to a smaller unionist presence, the Upstate region of the state would be a haven for Confederate Army deserters and resisters, as they used

7254-1118: The surge in tourism in Florida and along the Gulf Coast ; the numerous new automobile production plants such as Mercedes-Benz in Tuscaloosa ; Hyundai in Montgomery ; Toyota Motors in Blue Springs, Mississippi ; Kia in West Point, Georgia ; BMW production plant in Greer, South Carolina ; Volkswagen in Chattanooga ; GM manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee ; with the Nissan North American headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee ; Mercedes-Benz USA ; and Porsche North American headquarters in

7347-406: The table without constituent areas. The predominant culture of the Southeast U.S. has its origins with the settlement of the region by European colonists and African slaves during the 17th to 19th centuries, as large groups of English , Scottish , Scotch-Irish , Germans , Spanish , French , and Acadians migrated to the region. Since the late 20th century, the " New South " has emerged as

7440-528: The term. The most populous states in the region as of the 2020 United States census are: Florida (21,538,187), followed by Georgia (10,711,908), and North Carolina (10,439,388). Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are located southeast of Florida, and are considered to be in the South / Southeastern U.S. by the FAA , Agricultural Research Service , and the U.S. National Park Service . These are

7533-1039: The three legs of the American Triple Crown : the Kentucky Derby in Louisville , and the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore . The Derby is considered the western leg of the crown and the Preakness is traditionally considered the southern leg. The Atlantic Coast Conference is an NCAA Division I conference with many Southeastern college teams, including the: Clemson Tigers , Duke Blue Devils , Florida State Seminoles , Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets , Louisville Cardinals , Miami Hurricanes , North Carolina Tar Heels , NC State Wolfpack , Virginia Cavaliers , Virginia Tech Hokies , and Wake Forest Demon Deacons . The Southeastern Conference

7626-562: The tropical Atlantic Ocean and eastern Gulf of Mexico westward toward the southeast United States, creating the typical sultry tropical summers. Daytime highs are often in the upper 80s to lower 90s F. Rainfall is summer concentrated along the Gulf Coast and the South Atlantic coast from Norfolk, Virginia southward, reaching a sharp summer monsoon -like pattern over peninsular Florida, with dry winters and wet summers. Sunshine

7719-465: The union. During the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), about a third of combat action took place in South Carolina, more than any other state. Inhabitants of the state endured being invaded by British forces and an ongoing civil war between loyalists and partisans that devastated the backcountry. It is estimated 25,000 slaves (30% of those in South Carolina) fled, migrated or died during

7812-456: The war. America's first census in 1790 put the state's population at nearly 250,000. By the 1800 census, the population had increased 38 per cent to nearly 340,000 of which 146,000 were slaves. At that time South Carolina had the largest population of Jews in the sixteen states of the United States, mostly based in Savannah and Charleston, the latter being the country's fifth largest city. In

7905-646: The world with dynamite to prevent or avenge attacks upon the honor of his mother in the legitimacy or purity of the blood of his father. The state postponed such a one-drop law for years. Virginian legislators adopted a one-drop law in 1924, forgetting that their state had many people of mixed ancestry among those who identified as white. Early in the 20th century, South Carolina developed a thriving textile industry . The state also converted its main agricultural base from cotton, to more profitable crops. It would attract large military bases during World War I , through its majority Democratic congressional delegation, part of

7998-489: The world. The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida , is the largest laboratory in the world devoted to the study of magnetism. The University of South Carolina is currently constructing a research campus in downtown Columbia , and the university is the nation's only National Science Foundation -funded Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Fuel Cells . The region includes

8091-521: Was a Confederate State that isn't defined as part of the southeast region. Missouri and Kentucky had dual competing Unionist and Confederate state governments in the Confederate government of Missouri and Confederate government of Kentucky , while Maryland and Delaware were neutral southern border states that remained with the Union . West Virginia split from Virginia during 1863, and also served as

8184-550: Was anti-slavery, did not acknowledge the right to secession , and would not yield federal property in Southern states. Southern secessionists believed Lincoln's election meant long-term doom for their slavery-based agrarian economy and social system. Lincoln was elected president on November 6, 1860. The state House of Representatives three days later passed the "Resolution to Call the Election of Abraham Lincoln as U.S. President

8277-576: Was inspired by John Locke , an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "Father of Liberalism". The Carolina slave trade, which included both trading and direct raids by colonists, was the largest among the British colonies in North America. Between 1670 and 1715, between 24,000 and 51,000 captive Native Americans were exported from South Carolina – more than

8370-401: Was officially made a royal colony . South Carolina prospered from the fertility of the lowcountry and the harbors, such as at Charleston . It allowed religious toleration, encouraging settlement, and trade in deerskin, lumber, and beef thrived. Rice cultivation was developed on a large scale on the back of slave labor. By the second half of the 1700s, South Carolina was one of the richest of

8463-468: Was passed in 1975. Governor "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman , a Populist, led the effort to disenfranchise the blacks and poor whites, although he controlled Democratic state politics from the 1890s to 1910 with a base among poor white farmers. During the constitutional convention in 1895, he supported another man's proposal that the state adopt a one-drop rule , as well as prohibit marriage between whites and anyone with any known African ancestry. Some members of

8556-466: Was readmitted to the Union on July 9, 1868. In the early to mid-20th century, South Carolina experienced significant economic development with the establishment of numerous textile mills and factories throughout the state. The civil rights movement during the mid-20th century played a crucial role in dismantling segregation and discriminatory laws in the state. Following World War II , South Carolina's economic diversification accelerated, leading to

8649-535: Was the first European settlement in what is now the contiguous United States . Established with five hundred settlers, it was abandoned eight months later by one hundred and fifty survivors. In 1540, Hernando de Soto explored the region and the main town of Cofitachequi , where he captured the queen of the Maskoki (Muscogee) and the Chelaque (Cherokee) who had welcomed him. In 1562 French Huguenots established

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