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One of the thirteen original colonies, South Carolina has had a rich and varied history. When Spanish and French explorers arrived during the 16th century, the land was inhabited by many small tribes of Native Americans, the largest of which were the Cherokees and the Catawbas. Although the first European attempts at settlement failed, a permanent English settlement was established in 1670 on the coast near present day Charleston. The colony, named Carolina after King Charles I, was divided in 1710 into South Carolina and North Carolina.
Settlers from the British Isles, France, and other parts of Europe built plantations along South Carolina's coast in the area known as the "Lowcountry" were they grew profitable crops of rice and indigo. African slaves were later brought into the colony to provide labor for the plantations, and by 1720 they formed the majority of the population.
The port city of Charleston quickly became a center of commerce and culture. The Upstate region developed slower and was settled by small farmers and traders.
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