Carolina was originally a single colony and among the first 13. It remained a single colony until 1729 when it was divided into north and south. The orignial colony was named in honor Charles IX of France. South Carolina was the eighth state to join the union. and among the original thirteen colonies.

Col. William Moultrie was asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety in 1775 to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops. He chose a background of blue to match the color of their uniforms and a crescent much like the silver emblem worn on the front of their uniform caps. A palmetto tree was later included as a memorial to Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto log fort on Sullivan's Island during an attack of the British fleet in 1776.