Historic Canals & Waterways of South Carolina

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The Santee Canal, constructed between 1793 and 1800, was pivotal in connecting South Carolina's waterways, enabling commerce with Charleston. As America's first summit-level canal, it exemplified complex engineering and facilitated the transport of cotton, the state's key cash crop. Following the War of 1812, South Carolina invested heavily in canal development and navigation improvements, driven by economic needs and influential figures like John Christian Senf and Joel R. Poinsett. However, the rise of railroads in the 1830s marked the decline of the canal boom.