Since the colonization of South Carolina in 1670, Irish people have been instrumental in shaping the state's history. These humble Irish immigrants, overcoming a legacy of prejudice, soon became the heroes of Palmetto culture. The Palmetto State has a truly "lucky" past--Sullivan's Island is named after the Revolutionary War hero Captain Florence O'Sullivan, and two Irishmen signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of South Carolina. Arthur Mitchell, distinguished professor and Irish historian, recounts the trials and triumphs of the Irish and their kin in South Carolina.
Arthur Mitchell, a native of Boston, received his undergraduate degree from Boston University and his PhD from the University of Dublin, where he honed his love of Irish history. Since 1976, he has been a history professor at the Salkehatchie Campus of the University of South Carolina at Allendale and Walterboro. His works relating to the Irish in America include a collection of documents about Irish involvement in the American Revolution, the Irish connections of John F. Kennedy, a history of the Hibernian Society of Charleston and, forthcoming, along with coeditor David Doyle, a collection of articles about Irish involvement in American wars. He was the 2010 recipient of the Irish Carolinian award by three Irish societies in Charleston.