▁English men ▁to ▁vent ure ▁into ▁the ▁area ▁were ▁trad ers ▁who ▁often ▁travel led ▁up ▁from ▁Charles ▁Town ▁and ▁Sav ann ah ▁to ▁exchange ▁their ▁guns , ▁horses , ▁cloth , ▁and ▁liqu or ▁with ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁for ▁animal ▁skin ▁and ▁fur . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 3 , ▁British ▁colon ists ▁built ▁Fort ▁Prince ▁George , ▁the ▁first ▁white ▁settlement ▁in ▁Pick ens ▁County . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁chose ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁loyal ists . ▁ ▁South ▁Carol in ian ▁patri ots , ▁anger ed ▁at ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁for ▁supporting ▁the ▁Red co ats , ▁forced ▁them ▁to ▁c ede ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁territory ▁with ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁De W itt ' s ▁Cor ner ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 7 . ▁ ▁American ▁sett lers ▁did ▁not ▁start ▁moving ▁into ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁large ▁numbers ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 7 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Liber ty ▁area ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁is ▁unknown . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁Liber ty — then ▁called ▁Liber ty ▁Spring — was ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁P end leton ▁District , ▁which ▁included ▁most ▁of ▁modern - day ▁Anderson , ▁O con ee , ▁and ▁Pick ens ▁Count ies . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁An te bell um ▁period , ▁most ▁people ▁living ▁in ▁Liber ty ▁Spring ▁were ▁subs istence ▁far mers : ▁far mers