▁who ▁grew ▁only ▁what ▁they ▁needed ▁to ▁surv ive . ▁ ▁F ew ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁own ▁slaves ▁like ▁the ▁wealth ier ▁plan ters ▁in ▁the ▁Low country , ▁and ▁almost ▁every ▁far mer ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁work ▁the ▁land ▁himself . ▁ ▁Even ▁for ▁those ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁trade ▁with ▁other ▁towns , ▁the ▁poor ▁roads ▁made ▁the ▁effort ▁to ▁transport ▁goods ▁cost ▁more ▁than ▁those ▁goods ▁were ▁often ▁worth . ▁ ▁Out side ▁of ▁church , ▁local ▁residents ▁had ▁few ▁opportun ities ▁to ▁social ize ▁with ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁the ▁P end leton ▁District ▁had ▁split ▁up ▁into ▁Pick ens ▁and ▁Anderson ▁District s , ▁with ▁Liber ty ▁becoming ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁Pick ens ▁District , ▁which ▁included ▁both ▁Pick ens ▁and ▁O con ee ▁Count ies . ▁ ▁The ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁Re const ruction ▁Era ▁( 1 8 6 0 - 1 8 7 7 ) ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Pick ens ▁County ▁deleg ates ▁went ▁to ▁Columbia , ▁where ▁they — al ong ▁with ▁every ▁other ▁South ▁Carolina ▁delegate — v oted ▁un anim ously ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina ' s ▁se cess ion ▁from ▁the ▁Union . ▁ ▁Though ▁it ▁is ▁generally ▁accepted ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁shot ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁occurred ▁when ▁the ▁Union ▁ship ▁Star ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁was ▁fired ▁upon ▁from ▁state ▁troops ▁at ▁Morris ▁Island ▁on ▁January ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 6