South Carolina State Tartan

Carolina Tartan Adopted: June 2, 2002

Official South Carolina Tartan: STA No. 1377 (Carolina tartan)
The Scottish Register of Tartans

When Governor Mark Sanford signed House Bill No. 5063(H5063) on June 2, 2002, the Carolina tartan became the official tartan of the State of South Carolina.

International tartans South Carolina tartan

International Tartan's S.C. tartan
Not official

This is the same "Carolina tartan" adopted by North Carolina in 1991.

There is some, perhaps manufactured, dissension regarding the adoption of this tartan as South Carolina's official tartan, evidently related to the fact that both North and South Carolina have adopted the same tartan, the Carolina tartan, as their respective official tartans.

A company named International Tartans is promoting a tartan for South Carolina referring to it as "The tartan for all true South Carolinians." International Tartan's design is not the official South Carolina tartan.

According to CarolinaTartan.com:

The so-called "North Carolina" and "South Carolina" tartans are copyrighted proprietary designs, and as such, they may only be purchased through McGill's company, International Tartan. The actual Carolina tartan, as an official symbol of both NC and SC, is in the public domain.

In fact, the "Carolina tartan" shown above (STA No. 1377) is the "official tartan" of the States of South Carolina and North Carolina. It is the only official tartan of these states.

(A303, R392, H5063)

AN ACT

TO AMEND ARTICLE 9, CHAPTER 1 OF TITLE 1, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE OFFICIAL STATE EMBLEMS, BY ADDING SECTION 1-1-703 SO AS TO DESIGNATE THE CAROLINA TARTAN AS THE OFFICIAL TARTAN OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, Scottish families began to settle in both South and North Carolina during the last two decades of the seventeenth century; and

Whereas, in the first half of the eighteenth century, large numbers of both Highland Scots and Ulster Scots settled in the two Carolinas; and

Whereas, Scots became major elements of the population of both colonies; and

Whereas, a tartan is a plaid textile design consisting of stripes of varying width and color, each tartan unique to a clan, district, or group; and

Whereas, St. Andrew's Societies are organizations for the celebration of things Scottish; and

Whereas, St. Andrew's Societies in South and North Carolina arranged for the design of Carolina Tartan and cosponsored the effort for adoption of the design by the Scottish Tartans Society, which registered the Carolina Tartan in 1981, with the United Kingdom Design Registry; and

Whereas, those St. Andrew's Societies believe that the Carolina Tartan was the first one successfully advanced for a group of states in the United States, although Canadian provinces have had their distinctive tartans; and

Whereas, since 1981, tartans have been designed for other states; and

Whereas, the Carolina Tartan is a variation of a tartan associated with King Charles II who made the grant of land in 1663 which resulted in the creation of the Carolina proprietary colony; and

Whereas, there is desire on the part of many South Carolina citizens of Scottish descent to honor their ancestral ties. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Official state tartan

SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 1-1-703. The Carolina Tartan is designated as the official tartan of the State of South Carolina."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 28th day of May, 2002.

Approved the 3rd day of June, 2002.

The wording of H5063, above, is virtually identical to wording used to adopt the Carolina tartan as the official tartan of North Carolina eleven years earlier.

The following information regarding threadcount and pallet for the Carolina tartan is provided by the The Scottish Register of Tartans: The National Archives of Scotland.

Threadcount:

R64A28K32Y6K8W8K8R2G56R26K8R8W4

Pallet:

K=101010 BLACK;
Y=C4BC68 YELLOW;
G=5C6428 GREEN;
R=A00000 RUST;
A=5C8CA8 AZURE;
W=FFFFFF WHITE.

South Carolina Law

The following information was excerpted from The South Carolina Code of Laws, title 1, chapter 1, article 9, section 1-1-703.

Title 1 - Administration of the Government
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE 9. STATE EMBLEMS, PLEDGE TO STATE FLAG, OFFICIAL OBSERVANCES
SECTION 1-1-703.

SECTION 1-1-703. Official State tartan.

The Carolina Tartan is designated as the official tartan of the State of South Carolina.

Sources...

State of South Carolina. South Carolina Code of Laws. Columbia: State of South Carolina, 2011. Web. 8 Jun 2011.
"Tartan Fraud." The Carolina Tartan. Unknown publisher, 30 Aug 2010. Web. 16 Jun 2011.
Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

Symbols: Colors & Textiles : South Carolina Statehouse: Student Connection.

The Carolina Tartan: The Carolina Tartan -- official tartan of the states of North and South Carolina.

The Carolina tartan: The Scottish Tartans Museum, Franklin, North Carolina.

Tartan Details - Carolina, States of: Information held within The Scottish Register of Tartans for the "Carolinas, States of" tartan.

A History of Scottish Kilts: From the website of Authentic Ireland Travel.

The History of Scottish Tartans & Clans Tartans: Scottish History Online.

A Short History of Tartan: Peter MacDonald Tartan Design & Consultancy

Scotland's Story
by H. E. Marshall

Scotland's Story, by H. E. Marshall. 552 pages. Yesterday's Classics (December 19, 2005) Reading level: Ages 9-12. A child's history of Scotland, from legendary days through the time when the kingdoms of Scotland and England were joined together. Relates in vigorous prose the thrilling exploits of the heroes and heroines who defended Scotland from its English invaders. Includes the stories of Macbeth, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, the poet king and the beautiful lady of the garden, the "Glen of Weeping" and many others. First published a century ago, from the author of the highly-acclaimed "Our Island Story."

Scotland: The Story of a Nation, by Magnus Magnusson. 752 pages. Grove Press (January 17, 2003) Drawing on a great deal of modern scholarship that has redefined the nation's story, Magnusson vividly re-creates the long and fascinating story of Scotland, offering the most up-to-date and comprehensive history available today. Magnusson, who received an honorary knighthood for his contributions to the preservation of Scotland's heritage, casts the nation's historical trajectory as a long struggle toward nationhood. He explains the roots of the original Scots and examines the extent to which Scotland was shaped by the Romans, the Picts, the Vikings, and the English. He casts a sober eye on the many historical myths that have developed over the years, assessing their credibility while giving full appreciation of their importance to the people of Scotland.

Tartan: Romancing the Plaid
by Jeffrey Banks, Doria de La Chapelle

Tartan: Romancing the Plaid, by Jeffrey Banks, Doria de La Chapelle. 288 pages. Rizzoli; illustrated edition edition (October 23, 2007) Fashion world insiders Jeffrey Banks and Doria de La Chapelle have written the definitive book on tartan, bringing together a dizzying array of images to tell the story of tartan's humble beginnings to its current status as the ultimate emblem of great taste and high fashion. In addition to chronicling tartan enthusiasts from every age - including the incomparably fashionable Duke of Windsor whose closet was jam-packed with tartan kilts - Tartan profiles the designers who've made tartan an integral part of their work, from punk-inspired provocateurs Vivienne Westwood, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen to the more refined fashions of titan Ralph Lauren and Burberry.

Learning to Weave, by Deborah Chandler. 232 pages. Interweave Press; Revised edition (March 1, 1995) Learning to Weave has become the standard text book for both teachers and self-taught weavers. All you need to know is here including warping, reading and designing drafts, and the basics of weave structures. Warping back to front is included as well as updated resource lists.

Tartan: The Highland Textile, by James D. Scarlett. 204 pages. Shepheard-Walwyn (January 1, 1990) This is one of the tartan classics by Jamie Scarlett, éminence gris of the tartan scene. First published in 1985 and revised and reprinted in 1995 due to popular demand. A slim, stylish book providing the weaver and student with invaluable information on tartan and its weaving.

The Tartan Weaver's Guide, by James D. Scarlett. 68 pages. Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers (1995) Combines practical experience with a grasp of Highland social history in this book, which although aimed specifically at the amateur tartan-weaver, contains much of which will be of interest to students of either subject.

Visit the NETSTATE South Carolina State Book Store for additional South Carolina related books, including South Carolina Reference Books, History, Biographies and Cookbooks.