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The South Carolina State FlagDating back to 1765, the South Carolina State Flag reminds us of its role in the American Revolution and maintains its place in the annals of the Civil War with a design that was formulated as a National banner when the state seceded from the union on December 20, 1860. Components of the current state flag were first seen in 1765, on a banner carried by South Carolina protesters of the Stamp Act. The banner that the protesters hoisted displayed three white crescents on a blue background. Ten years later in 1775, Colonel William Moultrie was asked by the South Carolina Revolutionary Council of Safety to design a banner for the use of South Carolina troops. Colonel Moultrie chose a simple and direct design that displayed a crescent on a blue field. The new flag was the same blue color of the soldier's uniforms and the crescent echoed the symbol that the soldiers wore on the front of their caps.
Almost 100 years later, South Carolina seceded from the Union it had fought to create. A new banner was needed to fly above the newly created nation. Many designs were reviewed but the General Assembly settled on one simple change to Moultrie's Revolutionary War design. A Palmetto tree was added and centered on the blue field. The Palmetto, the South Carolina State Tree, had been attributed as instrumental in Colonel Moultrie's defense of Sullivan's Island against an attack by British warships in June, 1776. Cannonballs fired at the fort from the British ships could not destroy the walls of the fort which were built of Palmetto logs. Instead, the cannonballs simply sank into the soft, tough Palmetto wood. The flag that flies over the state of South Carolina today is of the same design that flew over the independent South Carolina during the Civil War. South Carolina Flag LawThe following information was excerpted from the South Carolina Code of Laws, Titles 1, 4, 10, and 59. TITLE 1. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
SECTION 1-1-670. Official pledge to State flag. The pledge to the flag of South Carolina shall be as follows: "I salute the flag of South Carolina and pledge to the Palmetto State love, loyalty and faith." TITLE 1. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
SECTION 1-10-10. Flags authorized to be flown atop State House dome, in chambers of Senate and House of Representatives and on grounds of Capitol Complex; members' offices as "chambers"; private individual wearing, carrying or displaying flag on capitol grounds. (A) As of 12:00 noon on the effective date of this act, and permanently thereafter, the only flags authorized to be flown atop the dome of the State House, in the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives, and on the grounds of the Capitol Complex shall be as authorized in this section. The flags authorized to be flown atop the dome of the State House and in the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives are the United States Flag and the South Carolina State Flag. As of 12:00 noon on the effective date of this act, the flag authorized to be flown at a designated location on the grounds of the Capitol Complex is the South Carolina Infantry Battle Flag of the Confederate States of America [the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia (General Robert E. Lee's Army) the South Carolina, Georgia, Florida Department version]. This flag must be flown on a flagpole located at a point on the south side of the Confederate Soldier Monument, centered on the monument, ten feet from the base of the monument at a height of thirty feet. The flagpole on which the flag is flown and the area adjacent to the monument and flagpole must be illuminated at night and an appropriate decorative iron fence must be erected around the flagpole. The South Carolina Infantry Battle Flag of the Confederate States of America is square measuring fifty-two inches on each side, inclusive of the white border, with a St. Andrews Cross of blue, edged with white, with thirteen equal five-pointed stars, upon a red field, with the whole banner bordered in white. The blue arms of the cross are 7.5 inches wide and the white border around the flag proper is 1.5 inches wide. The stars are five-pointed, inscribed within a circle six inches in diameter, and are uniform in size. From any funds appropriated to the Budget and Control Board, the Division of General Services of the Budget and Control Board, or its successor in interest, shall ensure that the flags authorized above shall be placed at all times as directed in this section and shall replace the flags at appropriate intervals as may be necessary due to wear. (B) The provisions of this section may only be amended or repealed upon passage of an act which has received a two-thirds vote on the third reading of the bill in each branch of the General Assembly. (C) The term "chambers" of the House or Senate for the purposes of this section does not include individual members' offices. The provisions of this section do not prohibit a private individual on the capitol complex grounds from wearing as a part of his clothing or carrying or displaying any type of flag including a Confederate Flag. SECTION 1-10-20. Confederate Flags from above rostrums of Senate and House of Representatives chambers to be placed and displayed in State Museum. The actual Confederate Flags (Naval Jack) removed from above the rostrum in the chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate must be placed and permanently displayed in a suitable location in the State Museum. SECTION 1-10-30. Confederate Flag from dome to be placed and displayed in State Museum. The actual Confederate Flag (Naval Jack) which is flying on the effective date of this act and which is removed from the dome of the State House must be placed and permanently displayed in a suitable location in the State Museum. TITLE 4. COUNTIES
SECTION 4-17-40. State flag shall be displayed on courthouse. The State flag shall be displayed daily, except in rainy weather, from a staff upon every courthouse. The officer in charge of each courthouse shall purchase a suitable flag and cause it to be displayed, the expense to be borne out of the funds provided for maintenance of the courthouse. TITLE 10. PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND PROPERTY
SECTION 10-1-160. Display of certain flags. (A) The United States flag and the State flag shall be flown daily, except in rainy weather, from a staff upon the State House, and shall be displayed above the rostrum in the chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate and in the first floor north foyer of the State House. No other flag shall be displayed in these locations or atop the dome or roof, or within the foyers or common or public areas within the capitol building. The State Budget and Control Board shall purchase suitable flags for display at the State House locations and cause them to be displayed, the expense to be borne out of the funds appropriated to it. (B) The provisions of this section may only be amended or repealed upon passage of an act which has received a two-thirds vote on the third reading of the bill in each branch of the General Assembly. (C) The term "chambers" of the House or Senate for purposes of this section does not include individual members' offices. The provisions of this section do not prohibit a private individual on the capitol complex grounds from wearing as a part of his clothing or carrying or displaying any type of flag including a Confederate Flag. TITLE 59. EDUCATION
SECTION 59-101-100. Display of United States and State flags. The State Superintendent of Education shall make such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the National Flag Code, for the display of the flag of the United States of America and the display of the State flag on the grounds of educational institutions supported, in whole or in part, by funds derived from this State. The person at the head of any educational institution in the State shall display the flag of the United States of America and the State flag on the grounds of educational institutions supported, in whole or in part, by funds derived from this State. The person at the head of any educational institution in the State shall display the flag of the United States of America and the State flag at such times and at such places and under such restrictions and rules as he may be directed to observe by the State Superintendent of Education. SECTION 59-101-110. Display of State flag on buildings of State University and State colleges. The State flag shall be displayed daily, except in rainy weather, from a staff upon one building of the University of South Carolina and of each State college. The officer or officers in charge of such buildings shall purchase suitable flags and cause them to be displayed, the expense to be borne out of the funds provided for maintenance. Source: The South Carolina Legislature, South Carolina Code of Laws, , November 2, 2007.
Additional InformationSouth Carolina (U.S.): FOTW "Flags of the World" Web Site. State Flags: Complete list of state flags with links to large pictures and images suitable for coloring. Flag Terminology: The parts of a flag and terms associated with its design. Visit Our Flag Shop: Purchase all kinds of flags and banners, lapel pins, 50 state flag sets, decals, patches, college banners at the Flag Shop. Flags of the Fifty States and their Incredible Histories: A complete guide to America's most powerful symbols by Randy Howe. How Proudly They Wave: Flags of the Fifty States: This book, by Rita D. Haban, is geared toward younger readers. |
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