South Carolina ACLS Certification and Recertification

SOUTH CAROLINA ACLS CERTIFICATION AND RECERTIFICATION

About South Carolina

South Carolina became the 8th state in 1788. The state capitol of South Carolina is Columbia with a population of 117,088 people (2005 Census). Columbia is also the largest city in the state, with Charleston coming in second with 106,712 people (2005 Census). The total population of South Carolina is 4,625,364 people (2010 Census). South Carolina is comprised of 30,109 square miles of Blue Ridge in the northwest, piedmont toward the southeast and coastal plain for most of the state. The state flower is the Carolina yellow Jessamine. The state bird is the Carolina wren. Explorers tried unsuccessfully to establish settlements in South Carolina for years.

In 1521 Spain’s Francisco de Gordillo failed near Georgetown. In 1562 the French failed on Parris Island near Fort Royal. Finally, in 1670 the English established a settlement on Albemarle Point near the Ashley River, however the conditions caused the settlers to move to where present day Charleston is (then known as Charles Town). Officially separated from North Carolina in 1729, South Carolina was the site of much military action and fighting during the Revolution, and during the Civil War. It was the firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston by South Carolina troops that began the Civil War in 1861, and South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union.

Over the years South Carolina has shifted from a heavy agricultural and farming state to a largely textile and milling state. There are still farms, but smaller in quantity. South Carolina has remained one of the top states in the production of tobacco and peaches over the years, and is home to the only tea plantation in the United States, south of Charleston. South Carolina’s unique history and diversity makes it an interesting place for tourists.

There are many historical sites such as Fort Sumter, Charleston is home to some of the richest southern and antebellum history in the United States as well as extensive gardens and Hilton Head Island is host to wonderful resorts. Prominent historical figures and famous people from South Carolina include John Calhoun, Althea Gibson, Dizzy Gillespie, Andrew Jackson, Jesse Jackson, Eartha Kitt, Francis Marion, Strom Thurmond, Vanna White, and others.