Industrialization | Palmetto Special

The lesson begins at the Wilson Tennis Ball factory in Fountain Inn. Here we see a montage in the process of making tennis balls The host then mentions that there are many other products made in the state. Another montage follows showing a sampling of some of them. Included are Helms sailboats; Glassmaster motorboats; Shakespeare fiberglass fishing rods; Life jackets from the Gladding Corporation; Golf balls and clubs from Dunlop Sports; Russell Stover candies; Ridgeland guitars; Home-lite chain saws; Sunbeam lawn-mowers and grass sprinklers, Looney-Tunes toothpaste, Schmidt Products, and Stanley screwdrivers.

Next is a montage of a large plant in Berkeley County--the Alumax Corporation. It is an example of an industry that has moved a part of its operation to South Carolina. It produces aluminum ingots. The second portion of this montage shows a local manufacturer --­ The Loxcreen company of Cayce. This South Carolina company has grown and established plants in various parts of the country. In the montage we see Loxcreen producing storm doors.

A dramatic scene follows with William Gregg discussing the virtues of a diversified economy in South Carolina with friends of his. Then he happens upon a young man playing hooky at a pond near the Graniteville mill. This location is the site of the original dam of the Graniteville Company. They talk about life in Graniteville and the changes that the new industry has made in their lives.

Standards

• 3-5 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the major developments in South Carolina in the late nineteenth and the twentieth century.
  • South Carolina experienced major economic, political, and social changes during the late nineteenth and the twentieth century. To understand the effects of these changes, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following ind...
    • 3-5.1 Summarize the social and economic impact of developments in agriculture, industry and technology, including the creation of Jim Crow laws, the rise and fall of textile markets, and the expansion of the railroad.
• 8-5 The student will understand the impact of Reconstruction, industrialization, and Progressivism on society and politics in South Carolina in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
  • During the periods of Reconstruction, industrial expansion, and the Progressive movement, South Carolina searched for ways to revitalize its economy while maintaining its traditional society. To understand South Carolina’s experience as represen...
    • 8-5.5 Compare industrial development in South Carolina to industrialization in the rest of the United States, including the expansion of railroads, the development of the phosphate and textile industries, and immigration.