Complex sentence: It adapted the palmetto flag as its national banner and began preparing for a presumed Federal military response while working to convince other Southern States to secede as well and join in a Confederacy of Southern republics.
Split into simpler sentences: It adapted the palmetto flag as its national banner. Soon after seceding, South Carolina began preparing for a presumed Federal military response while working to convince other Southern States to secede as well and join in a Confederacy of Southern republics.