Existing comment:
The Military Tradition: "Every free able bodied man..."
Like most Southerners, South Carolinians respect the military. They have readily gone to war and have proudly recognized military achievement.
Early South Carolina landowners adopted many of the aristocratic values of the English gentry, including a high regard for military service as a proper career for a gentleman.
Later, planters felt the same way. They also thought they were better soldiers than the Northerners and wanted to prove it. This attitude led the South into a war it could not win.
Before the Civil War, "every free able bodied" white male United States citizen between 18 and 45 served in his state militia.
The militia was designed to support the army if the country was invaded. During the early 1800s, it was used to discourage slave uprisings. The system helped make South Carolinians proud of their military skill and committed to defending the state. In 1798, Congress began giving states money for weapons. Before that, every militiaman had provided his own weapon, uniform and horse. |