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South Carolina: Local History & Genealogy Resource Guide

Compiled by reference specialists at the Library of Congress, this guide identifies key print and online resources for pursuing family history, as well as state, county and municipal historical research, for the state of South Carolina.

Introduction

One of the original 13 colonies, South Carolina was named in honor of King Charles I of England. The province was formed in 1712. South Carolina became the eighth state in 1788. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union at the start of the American Civil War. On July 9, 1868, the state was readmitted as part of the United States.

This guide offers a selection of resources and strategies for South Carolina local history and genealogy research. These include the print and digital collections of the Library of Congress, as well as external repositories and web sites key to finding forebears in the Palmetto State.

Colton's South Carolina. 1876. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

About Local History & Genealogy Reference Services

The Library of Congress has one of the world's premier collections of U.S. and foreign genealogical and local historical publications, numbering more than 50,000 compiled family histories and over 100,000 U.S. local histories. The Library's genealogy collection began as early as 1815 with the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's library.