State Flag Spotlight: The Sweet Flag of South Carolina
Posted:
April 25, 2018

Early History
The territory that makes up the State of South Carolina was one of the earliest areas colonized by the Europeans. With so much history behind the state, it is not surprising that the South Carolina flag has gone through a long evolution. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, citizens in favor of rebellion decided to create a banner under which the troops from South Carolina could rally. Colonel William Moultrie created a flag that is now known by his name: the Moultrie or Liberty flag. The Moultrie Flag is actually very similar to the current state flag. It featured a white crescent moon in the upper left corner on a navy-blue field. The word “Liberty” was sometimes inscribed either on the crescent moon or across the bottom of the flag. The navy color matched the militia’s uniforms. There is some debate as to the origin of the crescent shape, but the most reliable historical sources agree that it matched the emblem on the uniform hat. The Moultrie Flag flew over the newly founded state of South Carolina until the early days of the Civil War.
The Civil War
South Carolina was the first to secede from the Union at the outbreak of the American Civil War. The State’s Civil War flag included some changes you can see in the flag today. It featured the white crescent on a navy field like the Moultrie Flag but added a golden palmetto encircled by a white oval in the center. This flag is often referred to as the “Two-Day Flag” because it was replaced just two days after it was adopted by the official state flag that still flies today. The Secession Flag was another pennant flown in South Carolina during the Civil War. It had many similarities to the flag of the Confederate States of America. It featured a red field crossed horizontally and perpendicularly by blue stripes. White, five-pointed stars filled each blue stripe. The palmetto and crescent were still represented in white in the upper left quarter, though the crescent was larger in proportion. Many believe that this flag was the inspiration for the design of the Confederate Battle Flag. This Secession Flag was never the official flag of South Carolina, but it was recognized as the state’s symbol until the state reentered the Union after the war.