Editing South Carolina (section)

===Exploration===
{{Main|Spanish Florida|French Florida}}
[[File:Floride francaise Pierre du Val.jpg|thumb|left|Map of [[French Florida]], which included modern-day South Carolina]]

The Spanish were the first Europeans in the area. From June 24 to July 14, 1521, they explored the land around [[Winyah Bay]]. On October 8, 1526, they founded [[San Miguel de Gualdape]], near present-day [[Georgetown, South Carolina]]. It was the first European settlement in what is now the [[contiguous United States]]. Established with five hundred settlers, it was abandoned eight months later by one hundred and fifty survivors. In 1540, [[Hernando de Soto]] explored the region and the main town of [[Cofitachequi]], where he captured the queen of the [[Muscogee|Maskoki]] (Muscogee) and the [[Cherokee|Chelaque]] (Cherokee) who had welcomed him.

In 1562 French [[Huguenot]]s established a settlement at what is now the [[Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site|Charlesfort-Santa Elena]] archaeological site on [[Parris Island, South Carolina|Parris Island]]. Many of these settlers preferred a natural life far from civilization and the atrocities of the [[French Wars of Religion|Wars of Religion]]. The garrison lacked supplies, however, and the soldiers (as in the [[France Antarctique]]) soon ran away. The French returned two years later but settled in present-day Florida rather than South Carolina.<ref name="leifermann" />