Flag of South Carolina

Facts about the Flag of South Carolina

1. The palmetto commemorates a fort on Sullivan's Island built from palmetto logs, which absorbed British cannon fire in 1776 instead of splintering.
2. The crescent is not a moon. It reproduces the silver gorget worn on the caps of Revolutionary War troops, and its original meaning is genuinely uncertain.
3. The exact shape of the palmetto and crescent was only standardised in 2021, after decades in which manufacturers produced noticeably different versions.
4. The flag of South Carolina was officially adopted on January 28, 1861.
5. The flag in its present form is 165 years old as of 2026.
6. Design type: Indigo field with a white crescent and palmetto tree.
7. The official proportions are 2:3. It shares that ratio with 83 national flags.
8. The flag uses 2 colours: indigo and white.
9. The indigo on the flag stands for the uniforms of the state’s Revolutionary troops.
10. The white on the flag stands for the crescent and palmetto.
11. Palmetto tree: The palmetto-log fort on Sullivan’s Island that absorbed British cannonballs in 1776.
12. Crescent: The silver emblem worn on the caps of the state’s Revolutionary soldiers — a gorget, not a moon.
13. The design belongs to the "Plain field with a central emblem" family, shared with 70 other flags in this reference.
14. Flags most often confused with it: Antarctica, Arkansas and Aruba.
15. South Carolina joined the Union on 23 May 1788, as the 8th state.
16. Stock car racing is the official state sport.
17. The state is nicknamed The Palmetto State.
18. The state bird is the Carolina wren.