Present Day South Carolina 8-7.4

Agricultural Change in SC: 1950’s-1970’s The industrial growth of WWII affected farmers. They were now forced to grow crops that could be harvested by machines. By the mid-1950’s, tobacco had replaced cotton as the most important crop in the state. Unable to buy the expensive equipment needed to plant and harvest their crops, sharecroppers and tenant farmers left the countryside.

Rural to Urban By the 1970’s more South Carolinians lived in cities than in rural areas. As a result of industrialization and mechanization, SC’s economy changed from one based on agriculture to one based on manufacturing (industry) and tourism.

Industry Grows in SC After 1960 industry took the place of farming as the largest employer in SC. In order to become more competitive with other industrial centers, SC has worked to attract foreign companies to the state. Ways SC attracted foreign companies: Building more federal and state highways Large airports and sea ports Good technical college system State Development Right To Work State

Globalization- Negative Effects The textile industry declined in the 1990s. Despite low wages, the textile industry was unable to beat the international competition in the 1990’s and afterward. Globalization= world-wide exchanges of national and cultural resources The removal of all tariffs through agreements such as NAFTA and GATT meant that textile jobs went overseas where wages were even lower than they were in SC. Just as declining tariffs contributed to depressed conditions in the textile industry in the 1920’s, the declining tariffs today have caused many textile factories to close in SC.

Globalization- Positive Effects Although globalization contributed to the loss of textile jobs in SC, it has also meant foreign investment in SC. These investments attract people and money to our state today. Our state is part of an area called the ‘Sunbelt’, and many people have moved here to work as well as retire here in recent years.

Significant increases: Influx of new citizens Significant increases: Asian Americans Chinese Filipino Vietnamese Indian Korean Thai Japanese Loatian People The diverse economy of SC has drawn people from all over the world.

South Carolina’s Hispanics People from many countries have made SC home: Columbia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Guatemala Mexico Puerto Rico SC’s Hispanic community has increased over the last 50 years.