The Geography of South Carolina
Being a Companion to the History of That State
William Gilmore Simms
introduction by Sean R. Busick
Published: Mar 25 2015
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The Geography of South Carolina, published in 1843, is a companion piece for the edition of The History of South Carolina that came out the previous year. The separation of Simms's subject into two volumes allowed him to "simplify" it, in order to make the books more approachable for younger readers. Simms's purpose in writing The Geography was educational, much like its companion piece. Simms sought to provide the children of South Carolina with an understanding of their state, its history, people, culture, and resources. Simms's desire to see The Geography of South Carolina used as an educational tool is further evidenced by his inclusion of study and review questions in the book's final appendix.
The Geography of South Carolina draws heavily upon the work of Robert Mills. However, unlike Mills's important atlas, Simms's book is not merely a presentation of the physical features of the state and its places. Rather, The Geography of South Carolina is more like a text about natural history, describing the natural and physical featurs of the state, as well its population and their achievements.