This article was originally published in a 1907 Handbook of South Carolina.

The general subject of immigration is so interwoven with the subjects of transAtlantic service, with the analysis of South Carolina's population - its original and later period elements, and with the history of the State itself that it is difficult to treat it concisely. In the first place, the State's entire population until 1750 was native European, and the colony repeatedly made every effort to induce others to come out from all nations. South Carolina is a State made up entirely of immigrants, as has been shown elsewhere, and there is no citizen of the State perhaps today whose parents, grandparents or other ancestors did not hail from some European country, Indeed many of the present day's leading citizens are natives of European countries, despite the small proportion of immigration this State has been receiving since the real coming of immigrants to this country began in earnest in 1820, up to which time it had aggregated about a quarter of a million, and since which time it has added 25,318,067 persons to the population of the United States. The great waves were just prior to the Civil War,again in 1873, again in 1882, and 1907 has far exceeded all records. The first great wave was due to the migration of British and German people, and so was the second, and the third was of the same class. The last heavy record is made by the migration chiefly of Russians and Italians, though the British, Scandinavian and German movements are not so much less than heretofore.

South Carolina has for many years not been receiving any portion worthy of mention of the classes of people who builded the State and her institutions and since the Western and Northwestern States,the largest number coming in any one year for 14 years up to 1905 being 241 persons in 1892. In 1894 there were 83 and in 1904 only 95, which was an increase over the preceding year. By 1907, according to the report of Immigration, as a result of efforts on the part of the State, this annual number of foreign arrivals had been increased to practically 1,000 souls. And this despite the fact that principally the State's efforts had been during the three years along the line of securing settlers from other portions of this country.

Meanwhile, as stated in the opening chapter of this volume, this State has furnished to other States a large percentage of their present most desirable population. By 1860 the balance of emigration over immigration was 178,957, white persons-people emigrating to other States; in 1870 the balance was 208,770, of which 128,809 were white; in 1880 it was nearly 200,000; in 1890 it was 167,406, and in 1900 it had risen again to 172,548. The sketches of the history of agricultural and commercial conditions prior to the Civil War and since afford some explanation for this condition, which was one that necessarily led the State to take some steps in 1904 to remedy the evil which by that time was making itself obvious. Today native South Carolinians who have gone to other States are returning here and many in distant centres are aiding the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Immigration in inducing other desirable settlers to come here.

South Carolina's Invitations.- The State during all of its early history made vigorous efforts to increase the white population. The State first offered a premium for immigration in 1670, when land was offered at a rent of half penny per acre for five years.

In 1712 the Assembly offered 14 pounds to the importer of each healthy male British servant between the ages of 12 and 30 years, "not a criminal."

In 1730 to each man, woman and child who would come over and occupy and plant the land, 50 acres, free of rent, was offered for ten years.

In 1731 the Government offered 400 pounds for every 100 effective men brought from Switzerland. Forty thousand acres were given the colonists at Purysburg, on Savannah River.

In 1739 a bounty of 6,000 pounds was offered to the first 200 immigrants above 12 years of age, from Wales; provisions and farming stock was also added.

In 1764 King George gave 300 pounds, tents, arms, and vessels and the colony 500 pounds and lands to a party of German immigrants who settled in Londonderry, Edgefield County.

In 1804 there was a general invitation in Charleston to immigrant merchants to come to that city no matter from what nation.

In 1866 the next effort seems to have been made under the direction of Gen. John A. Wagener, appointed Commissioner of Immigration, under the Legislative act of that year. Promising efforts were destroyed by the coming of Reconstruction.

In 1886 the last effort prior to 1904 was made by the then existing Department of Agriculture of the State.

The State's Immigrant Agent of 1732. - In the ship registry for Charles Town for the months of November and December, 1732, on several occasions ships are reported as having brought in Palatines or Switzers. These were emigrants to South Carolina from the Palatinate or Switzerland, brought at the instance of Jean Pierre Purry, whom the Lord's Proprietors of Carolina had entered into contract with, early in the eighteenth century, to bring emigrants to South Carolina. After South Carolina became a Royal Province the British Government assumed the obligations to Purry, and he proceeded with his work of bringing settlers. He prepared and published a pamphlet, which extolled the virtues of the soil, air, climate, and other natural advantages of South Carolina and the people of the Province. A reprint of this pamphlet may be seen in Carroll's "Historical Collections of South Carolina," VOL. 2, Pp. 121-140. These pamphlets were distributed by Purry throughout Europe and so well did he work his territory that he induced many emigrants to come to South Carolina, but the bulk of his settlers were drawn from Switzerland and the Palatinate. The Switzers were the very best sort of emigrants. They had been independent property holders, farmers, tradesmen and shopkeepers in Switzerland and upon arriving in South Carolina were ready to take up or purchase lands, and go to work. Purry brought over two particularly large bodies of French cantons and another in 1735 from the German cantons. The former settled the village and township of Purrysburgh, on the Savannah River, and the latter settled in the village and township of Orangeburgh, on the Edisto River, and from these two bodies of settlers many of our best and most substantial citizens have descended.

The Palatines were altogether a different class of settlers. They were very poor peasants that had been ground down by centuries of toil and political and religious oppression. Their spirits had been broken and their very intellects dwarfed. They wanted to enjoy the blessings of American freedom, but they were too poor to pay their passage money, but Purry brought them anyway, and they were sold into temporary servitude for their passage money. After their times had been served out they either took up lands, plied their trades, or went elsewhere, but many of these, too, became substantial citizens and doubtless have influential descendants today.

After the Civil War.-Just after the Civil War, at the session of the General Assembly in the latter part of 1866, when James L. Orr was Governor, an act was passed "For the encouragement and protection of European immigration, and for the appointment of a commissioner and agents and for other purposes therein expressed." The act looked largely to the handling of lands offered for sale, the commissioner supervising all such transactions between immigrants and landholders, though it required a systematic advertising campaign abroad. Gen. John A. Wagener was made commissioner and the office was located in Charleston. In the spring of the following year the commissioner issued a 48-page pamphlet, entitled, "South Carolina a Home for the Industrious Immigrant," and its contents as well as the act of the General Assembly was approved at a public meeting in Charleston attended by business men of the city of foreign birth. Such men as Jas. C. Aiken of Winnsboro donated 500 acres of land, to be given immigrants settling upon it. Lewis M. Ayer wrote the commissioner: "In former years very many German farmers settled in Barnwell and the adjoining districts; their descendants now constitute, in all probability, fully half the population of this section of the country." He concluded with an offer to give away 2,000 acres of his lands in sections of 50 acres each to heads of families who would put $500 worth of improvements thereon. Though this undertaking did bring good results, and promised to accomplish much, its career was cut short and abruptly terminated by the horrors of Reconstruction, and the advent of conditions that, even had the State been able to have continued the work, would have made any effort fruitless.

The 1886 Effort. In the resume of the operations of the Department of Agriculture of South Carolina, published in 1886, is contained the following, which relates to the last effort at immigration to South Carolina prior to the effort of 1904, as published in the "review of operations of the Department of Agriculture of South Carolina for the six years from its establishment to the end of the fiscal year 1885."

"In 1881, to meet a demand which had arisen in the State for agricultural laborers, a Bureau of Immigration was established, and was placed under the charge of Dr. E. M. Boykin. The bureau was thoroughly equipped for its work. Arrangements were made with the authorities in New York for the shipment of immigrants, low rates were obtained from both foreign and domestic lines of transportation, pamphlets were distributed abroad, a home for, the reception of the immigrants was establshed at Columbia in charge of a superintendent, who also served as interpreter; and immigrants were supplied to all parties making application for them. There were brought into tbe State about eight hundred persons, mostly of the peasant class, in families, with a few single men. Many of these, particularly where families were engaged, gave great satisfaction; while others, particularly the single men, were found to be very unreliable and fond of shifting their quarters. The bureau was in operation for about two years, when the demand for laborers of this class having ceased, either from a belief having arisen in their unreliability, or from the inability of our people to adapt themselves to the relations required by this new and unaccustomed class of laborers, or both, the office of superintendent was abolished by the General Assembly, and the active operations soon after brought to a close. The entire disbursements by the Department for the Bureau of Immigration were $10,770.31, of which amount $1,875.18 were refunded (by parties applying for immigrants), making the real cost of the bureau $8,895.13. As during the period of its operation, eight hundred and sixty (860) immigrants were brought into the State, the entire cost to the State of each immigrant, including the salary and traveling expenses of the superintendent, printing, distribution of pamphlets, etc., was about ten dollars, an amount just about equal to the expenses of the immigrant from New York to Columbia."

Many of the people were brought in as a result of this effort and their children are well-known South Carolinians today, and it is not unlikely that some of them will read this chapter.

Col. B. F. Crayton, who died in Anderson recently, was always an earnest advocate of immigration and it was due to his efforts that a number of present-day well-known Anderson families found their way into that part of South Carolina, and attained a degree of prosperity for themselves and their children that they,could never have found in their original homes.