South Carolina

South Carolina’s flag combines two symbols with roots in the American Revolution. The blue field and white crescent derive from the 1775 Moultrie Flag, modeled on the blue uniforms of South Carolina militia and the silver crescent gorgets worn on their caps. The palmetto commemorates the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan’s Island, whose trunks absorbed British cannon fire during the June 28, 1776 defense of Charleston Harbor. The General Assembly formally adopted the combined crescent-and-palmetto design in January 1861, and the design was standardized in 2021.