Thomas Sumter - Legacy

Legacy

• The town of Sumter, South Carolina erected a memorial to him and it and Sumter County, South Carolina were named for him. The town of Sumter is dubbed "The Gamecock City" after his nickname. "Gamecock" is one of the several traditional nicknames for a native of South Carolina.

• The University of South Carolina's official nickname is the "Fighting Gamecocks;" since 1903 the teams have been simply known as the "Gamecocks."

• Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor was named for Sumter after the War of 1812. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.

• The fictional character of Benjamin Martin in The Patriot, a motion picture released in 2000, was based on Sumter and his actions, as well as on Daniel Morgan and Francis Marion.