South Carolina's Flag History

The state flag of South Carolina was adopted on January 28, 1861. The crescent symbol represents the silver emblem worn on the caps of South Carolina troops during the revolutionary war, and the background color matches the blue of their uniforms. Crescents were also a component of a banner carried by South Carolina protesters of the Stamp Act in 1776.

The flag also features the state tree (sabal palmetto). South Carolina's nickname is the palmetto state, a sabal palmetto tree appears on the state seal, and also on the U.S. Mint's quarter for South Carolina. The iconic sabal palm is also the state tree of Florida,