The flag of the state of South Carolina has, in some form, existed since 1775, being based on one of the first Revolutionary War flags. In 1775, Colonel William Moultrie was asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety to design a flag for the South Carolina troops to use during the American Revolutionary War. Moultrie's design had the blue of the militia's uniforms and the crescent.
It became the standard of the South Carolina militia. The palmetto tree was added in 1861, also a reference to Moultrie's defense of Sullivan Island; the fortress he had constructed had survived largely because the palmetto trees, laid over sand walls, were able to withstand British cannons.
But why is there a crescent moon?
There is much debate about the significance of the crescent. It is believed that the uniform of the garrisoned first and second regiments included a cap which had a silver crescent on the front. The large blue flag was made (in 1775) with a crescent in the dexter corner to be in uniform with the troops.
