The SC Research System
This page is the operating system for South Carolina Genealogy—the order that prevents wasted months in the wrong courthouse.
1. Jurisdiction first (15 minutes)
- Write the event (birth, marriage, land, death, probate) and the year.
- Read Districts & counties.
- Open the modern county hub and note formation, parents, and neighbors.
Print: Starter checklist · Cheatsheet bundle.
2. Method guides (as needed)
- Start here — overall path
- Census · Land · Probate
- Churches · Newspapers · Vitals
- Specialized: African American · Military · Migration · Indigenous hub
3. County hub deep work (one session)
- Use the on-page jump links (topics, matrix, towns, newspapers, neighbors).
- Read the researcher path when present (Charleston-class / Tier A & B depth).
- Open 1–2 signature topics, not all of them.
- Print the county cheatsheet from the sidebar.
4. Tools & substitutes
- Shop / free packs — burned-county, AA, priority, Tier A starter
- This week in SC history · Timeline
- Societies & libraries
- Local history news
5. Ask & correct
- Surname queries (moderated)
- Forum archive (historical)
- Contact for citations and broken links
6. Dual-state families
When the trail crosses the line, open North Carolina Genealogy the same day. See Sister sites.