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State Flags --> South Carolina Flag |
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Flag of South Carolina |
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The flag of South
Carolina is believed to have been originally designed in 1775 for
use by South Carolinian troops during the American Revolutionary
War. The blue of the flag was borrowed from the militia's uniforms
and the crescent from the emblem on their caps. However, elements
that compose the current flag were seen in as far back as 1765, in
a banner used by South Carolina protesters of the Stamp Act. South
Carolina's flag was ranked as being the 10th best designed state
or provincial flag in North America by the North American
Vexillological Association in 2001.
History
The current version was adopted on 28 January 1861 as the
"national" flag of the newly seceded state. The only change was
the addition of the palmetto tree, which represents the defense of
Fort Moultrie (constructed of palmetto logs) on Sullivan's Island
from British attack in June 28, 1776. The flag remained the
official state flag after the end of the American Civil War.
The exact original symbolism of the crescent moon on the South
Carolina flag is not entirely clear at this later date. According
to one hypothesis, the crescent worn on the caps of the South
Carolina revolutionary soldiers was a stylized criniere or gorget.
Thus, perhaps both symbols on the state flag are emblems of
defensive prowess. However, although it is known that soldiers in
Charleston and in South Carolina in general wore the crescent,
some historians posit that this is not a stylized gorget (which is
worn over the chest), but rather it was an already established
emblem of the City of Charleston and the colony of South Carolina
— a theory supported by the fact that ten years before the
Revolution, a blue flag with three white crescents was already in
use by Charlestonian troops.
The origin of the crescent as a symbol for Charleston and for
South Carolina has been lost to time; however, various theories
abound. One hypothesis is that it stems from the crescent as the
heraldic symbol of a second son. It is true that many of the early
colonists would have been second (and third, etc.) sons who had no
inheritance in England, and whose coats of arms would have
therefore borne crescents; thus, perhaps the crescent was adopted
as a symbol for the colony. An alternative hypothesis notes that
crescents are found on the coat-of-arms of the Bull family, which
was prominent in the early days of the colony and even produced
one of Charleston's more illustrious Royal Governors. |
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 Sterling
Silver Charm of South Carolina
Commercial Use
Shirts, belts, shoes, wallets, and other
accessories featuring the flag's Palmetto tree and crescent are popular
throughout South Carolina and other Southeastern states. It is also
customary for alumni and supporters of the state's main universities
(the University of South Carolina and Clemson University) to display the
state flag in their school colors. |
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