Final answer:
The flag of South Carolina was changed during the Revolutionary War to symbolize the successful defense against the British by the patriots in the first Battle of Sullivan's Island, reflecting the colony's resistance and unity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The flag of South Carolina was changed at the beginning of the Revolutionary War because the patriots held off the British during the first Battle of Sullivan's Island. This event epitomized the local resistance against the British and symbolized the broader struggle for independence within South Carolina, a colony fraught with internal divisions between the backcountry revolutionary partisans and the coastal regions where Loyalists held sway. The new flag served to represent the colony's defiance and unity against the British power, despite the local complexities and the ongoing civil strife between different factions within the state.