To travel South Carolina is to journey through American history from the meeting place of Hernando DeSoto and the Queen of Cofitachiqui in 1540 to Albemarle Point on the Ashley River, the first permanent European settlement established by the English in 1670; from Sullivan s Island, where outgunned patriots gave the American cause its first victory in 1776 to Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. In Backroads of South Carolina, the rich heritage of the state, one of the original thirteen colonies, unfolds along with its rich natural history and scenic splendors. This guide leads adventurers on more than thirty drives through South Carolina s great historical and natural attractions, from the lowlands of the Atlantic coastal region to the majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The authors Paul Franklin and Nancy Mikula highlight the state s strong agricultural and industrial roots its rice, cotton, indigo, and textile milling industries as well as the place of its historical plantations in the story of the slave trade and early African-American life. Culture and history, nature and outdoor adventure, business and recreation: Whatever draws you to South Carolina, this book is the consummate host, conducting tourist and resident alike along the state s most intriguing back roads and bi-ways.