Fort Congaree was a colonial militia fort and trading post, palisaded with a ditch and two bastions opposite the river, built in 1718 right after the Yamassee Indian War of 1715-1716. Its remnants are now located near Cayce, South Carolina, in Richland County - not far from the capital, Columbia.

Trade was the basis for early relationships between European colonists and Native Americans. Trading posts such as Old Fort Congaree and the Granby Store (Cayce House) drew settlers inland along land and river routes. Canals eventually connected inland areas with low country seaports, which led to economic and population growth in the area.