Why is there a crecent moon on South Carolina state flag?

Answer 1

There is no moon on the SC state Flag! In 1765, citizens of SC marched in protest of the Stamp Act with a flag bearing 3 crescents. Flash forward to the Revolution and you have the beginnings of what is now the SC State Flag. In June 1776, the British suffered its worst naval defeat when the British tried to attack the South in Charleston, SC. The patriot defense was a fort called Fort Sullivans which is now Fort Moultrie. The Fort was commanded by Maj. Gen William Moultrie and was unfinished when 9 British Man of War ships, including the famous Bristol, tried to attack. Moultrie's flag was an indigo blue field with a white crescent in the corner that read LIBERTY inside of it. The SC troops wore crescents on their hat with inscriptions such as 'Liberty' or 'Liberty or Death' and their uniforms were indigo blue. There are 2 theories about the crescent. First, a crescent is an old heraldic symbol meaning hope of glory, enlightenment, and also the sign of a second son an English family. Many of the troops were 2nd generation English and had hopes of a new enlightened government. Second, the crescent is argued to be a gorget. This was a piece of neck armor used by troops prior to the Revolution days to protect their neck from sword blows. By the time of the Revolution, it was mainly for officers in full dress (see pictures of George Washington). However, it still represented a symbol of military defense and prowess.

Most importantly, the crescent is a symbol of freedom. The proper position is to be turned straight up. This is how the SC State flag was originally designed before being turned in the early 1900's. Any SC Flag with an inward facing crescent means it was a secession era flag.