“P” is for Population. South Carolina’s population exceeded four million in 2000, but its growth over more than three centuries had been relatively slow and erratic. It was not until 1730 and the establishment of rice as a staple crop that the colony’ population began to increase significantly. When cotton became a cash crop, upcountry counties grew, but the lowcountry’s population stagnated. During the 19th century, out-migration of white residents and in the 20th century black Carolinians caused the population increase much more slowly than the national average Throughout much of its history, a majority of the state’s population was African American; from 1708-1790; and from 1820-1922. Despite the rapid growth in suburban and coastal counties, at the turn of the twenty-first century, South Carolina still had a sizable rural population.
“P” is for Population
