CHARLESTON - AMERICA’S MOST HISTORIC CITY · 2012-08-15 · Charleston entered the gracious antebellum period. The city grew and many fine homes were built. However, it wasn’t

CHARLESTON - AMERICA’S MOST HISTORIC CITY

In 1670, a group of colonists sailed from England into what is now Charleston Harbor. They chose a piece of high land about 5 miles upstream for their settlement, andcalled it Albemarle Point. Their trip was financed by eight English noblemen who hadbeen granted a large tract of land in America by King Charles II in return for politicalfavors. These eight Lord Proprietors planned, governed, and prospered from theirnew colony across the sea. This area was also claimed by the Kiawah Indians whosechief, hoping for protection from more warlike tribes, encouraged the newcomers tobuild on his lands.

In 1680, the Colonists moved their settlement to the present peninsula and named itCharles Town (after good King Charles). This land, bounded on three sides by water,was not only a better site for trade and commerce, but it also provided naturalprotection from Indians, Pirates, and Spaniards. By 1704, Charles Town wassurrounded by fortified walls, complete with drawbridge, making it one of the fewwalled cities in North America.

Unlike many of the other colonies in the New World, Carolina was not founded by aparticular religious sect. In fact, the Lords Proprietors, anxious to make a success of their business venture, provided a haven of religious tolerance. By the early1700's, Anglicans, Anabaptists, French Huguenots, Quakers, Presbyterians,Congregationalists, and Jews were worshiping in Charleston, and no religiousarguments were permitted by law. With its abundance of churches, Charleston is still called the “Holy City.”

By 1717, the walls surrounding Charleston had gradually come down, allowing forexpansion of the city. The early houses were built of wood and were very closetogether, perhaps for protection, or because it was the style the settlers had left inEurope. As a result, fire was a major threat. Charleston had been plagued bydevastating fires, some wiping out half of the city at a time. Epidemics of smallpoxand malaria had also swept through the close quarters of the city.

In 1720, angered by unjust laws and inadequate protection, Carolinians met inCharleston and successfully petitioned to abolish the authority of the LordsProprietors, and to become a royal colony. By this time, Charlestown (as she wasspelled under royal rule) had become a flourishing seaport. Wharves lined East BaySt. and shipping accounted for the wealth of the city. Merchants, dealing at first inIndian trade, and later in rice, indigo and slaves, prospered.

By the mid-18th century, Charleston was the wealthiest and fourth largest city in Colonial America. Merchants, who had invested their wealth in land and slaves, nowbecame planters. Some of the greatest plantations were located along the AshleyRiver. Slavery was the impetus behind the success of these plantations. More thanhalf of the population of Charleston was black, and only a handful were free. Mostwere skilled in rice cultivation. They were also immune to the fevers of malaria thatsent the planters to their townhouses during the “sickly time” between May andNovember.

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While in town, wealthy Charlestonians enjoyed a diverse social life. There was wideinterest in the fine arts. Music, theater, and dancing were popular leisure activities. The first public library in America was organized in Charleston in 1743.

Although the city prospered under royal rule, unjust taxes were creating a majorconflict and in 1773, Charleston had its own version of the Boston Tea Party. The cityplayed an important role in the American Revolution, and was home to four signers ofthe Declaration of Independence. The first major patriot victory of the Revolution wasled by Colonel William Moultrie in a still unfinished, palmetto log fort on SullivansIsland, where he repulsed a British attempt to invade Charleston Harbor. However,by 1780, the British had occupied Charleston, and imprisoned leading citizens. Thethree-year occupation took a heavy toll on the city. A fire (thought to be set byTories) destroyed the waterfront, and the city had been bombarded and looted by theBritish.

With perseverance, Charleston (the name under which she was incorporated in 1783)rebuilt and once again prospered. The cotton gin and improved rice cultivationboosted the economy. Charleston entered the gracious antebellum period. The citygrew and many fine homes were built.

However, it wasn’t long before the winds of rebellion were once again stirring inCharleston. The controversy over nullification, states’ rights, and slavery ledCharlestonians to vote for secession. On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the Warbetween the States were fired by Confederate forces at Fort Johnson onto federallyoccupied Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. It was also in Charleston Harbor that thefirst successful submarine attack was launched when the Confederate submarine,“Hunley,” sank a Union warship (although the crew was lost in the backwash). Butthe die had been cast. In 1863, Federal troops began a bombardment and siege ofCharleston that lasted 576 days. By the end of the war, the city was in ruins.

Recovery from the war was slow due to a scarcity of capital, heavy taxes, and politicaltroubles. Hurricanes in 1885 and 1893, and a great earthquake in 1886, slowedprogress in rebuilding. A great hurricane in 1911 was the final blow to the riceindustry. But Charlestonians are survivors, and they pulled themselves together withearthquake bolts and determination. Preservation became a way of life, and the factthat many were “too poor to paint and too proud to whitewash,” accounts for many ofthe architect treasures left standing today. In 1920, the Society for the Preservationof Old Dwelling Houses (now the Preservation Society) was established. In 1931,Charleston adopted the first historic district zoning ordinance in America. Today, theBoard of Architectural Review approves all exterior architectural changes on buildingsin the historic district. The Federal Government has designated Charleston a NationalHistoric Landmark. Charleston has become a city of renaissance. Once again, she isa city renowned for her arts, architecture, and livability.

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CHARLESTON STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Charleston was named after ___________ ________________.

2. How was Charleston different from many of the other colonies?

3. Why is Charleston still called the “Holy City?”

4. As a result of the way homes were originally built in Charleston, what was amajor threat to the city?

5. Charleston became a flourishing ________________________.

6. What was located along the Ashley River?

7. Were there many slaves in Charleston? Explain your answer.

8. __________ signers of the Declaration of Independence were from Charleston.

9. During the Revolutionary War, what happened in Charleston in 1780?

10. What happened at Fort Sumter in 1861?

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PATRIOT’S POINTLocated on historic Charleston Harbor, Patriots Point is home to USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), the Fighting Lady. The first USS YORKTOWN (CV-5) sank at the battle of Midwayon June 7, 1942. Onboard the decks of this famous World War II aircraft carrier, youcan relive a momentous time in America's history. The Fighting Lady contains all theevidence of her past; one can see, touch, feel and smell the past, where youngAmericans fought and died to turn the fortunes of war in the Pacific.

Moored next to her is USS LAFFEY (DD-724), a World War II destroyer. LAFFEYsurvived the onslaught of Japanese kamikaze attacks while off Okinawa as RadarPicket Station #1 on April 16, 1945. She became known as "the ship that wouldn'tdie."

Also moored alongside are the United States Coast Guard cutter INGHAM (WHEC-35),which fought in the convoy battles of the North Atlantic and sank a German U-boat;and the diesel attack submarine USS CLAMAGORE (SS-343).

Onboard YORKTOWN are dozens of displays devoted to maritime and naval history,the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's museum and headquarters, and morethan two dozen historic military aircraft are on exhibit. Ashore is a full-size NavyAdvance Tactical Support Base from the Vietnam era, and our gift shop.

USS YORKTOWN CV-10

“The Fighting Lady”

Commissioned on April 15, 1943, "The Fighting Lady"was named for USS YORKTOWN (CV-5), sunk at Midway. She played a leading part in the war in the Pacific,receiving a Presidential Unit Citation and 11 battle starsfor her service in World War II. Naval aircraft launchedfrom her flight deck sank the largest battleship everbuilt, the Japanese battleship Yamato. Converted for jetuse by the addition of an angled flight deck in 1955, sheserved as an anti-submarine carrier in Vietnam.

Before she was decommissioned in 1970, YORKTOWN also played a historic role in thespace program, recovering the crew of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit themoon in 1968.

Reflecting her role as the National Memorial to Carrier Aviation, YORKTOWN offersdozens of exhibits illustrating daily life aboard an aircraft carrier, the development ofcarrier design and the careers of historic carriers as well as memorials to carrier sailorskilled in action as well as test pilots, naval aviators and aircrewmen.

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USS LAFFEY DD-724

“The Ship That Would Not Die”

The heroic destroyer LAFFEY, commissioned on February 8, 1944, participated in theD-Day landings of Allied troops at Normandy four months later. Transferred to thePacific, she was attacked by 22 Japanese planes and hit by 4 bombs and 6 kamikazesduring a single hour in combat off Okinawa on April 16, 1945. Her gallant crew notonly kept her afloat, but managed to shoot down11 planes during the attack.

After World War II, the LAFFEY served during Koreaand then in the Atlantic until she wasdecommissioned in 1975. She received five battlestars for World War II service and two battle starsfor Korean service.

Aboard the LAFFEY you can see the bridge, battlestations and living quarters as well as exhibits ofmemorabilia and memorials to the destroyer menof World War II.

USCGC INGHAM WHEC-35

The Coast Guard Cutter INGHAM was one of the most decorated vessels in U. S.service, having received 18 ribbons during a careerthat spanned more than 50 years.

Commissioned in 1936, INGHAM cruised in Alaskanand Pacific waters prior to World War II. DuringWorld War II, she participated in 31 convoysincluding those of the "Bloody Winter" of 1942-43 inthe North Atlantic and was credited with the sinkingof the Nazi submarine U-626. Read the journal ofEnsign Joseph Matte on board INGHAM, whileconducting convoy duty in the North Atlantic from 16February 1942 to 19 April 1943. Well after the warended, she continued her tradition of valorous

service, receiving two Presidential Unit Citations for duty off Vietnam and ending hercareer with major victories in the "War Against Drugs.”

Aboard USCGC INGHAM you can visit exhibits illustrating life aboard a Coast Guardvessel, as well as other historical exhibits and the National Memorial to CoastGuardsmen Lost during World War II and Vietnam.

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USS CLAMAGORE SS-343

USS CLAMAGORE was commissioned on June 28, 1945, as the war in the Pacific wasdrawing to a close. Based at Charleston for much ofher career, she cruised Atlantic and Mediterraneanwaters for nearly thirty years, including criticalpatrols at the height of the Cuban missile crisis in1962. Twice modified from her original World War IIconfiguration, Clamagore continued in service as oneof the U. S. Navy's last diesel-powered submarinesuntil decommissioned in 1975.

Aboard the Clamagore, it is easy to visualize what itwas like to live onboard a submarine, visit her controlroom, crew's berthing and mess areas, engine rooms, maneuvering room and amemorial to submariners lost at sea.

PATRIOT’S POINT STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

11. What are the four different kinds of vessels found at Patriot’s Point?

12. In what two wars did USS Yorktown play an important role?

13. How was the Yorktown used in the Space Program?

14. What happened to the USS Laffey during World War II on April 16, 1945?

15. Which vessel did you enjoy touring the most? Explain why it was your favorite.

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Boone Hall Plantation

The Plantation was part of a series of land grants from South Carolina's LordsProprietors to Major John Boone, the earliest grant dating from 1681. As cottonbecame king of Southern agriculture, Boone Hall, a cotton plantation spread overthousands of acres, became a giant of the Low Country's plantation culture.

The lives of the early owners of Boone Hall Plantation are interwoven into Carolina'shistory. Major John Boone came to South Carolina's shores with the first group ofEnglish settlers, known as the "First Fleet." For many years the Boones were one ofthe state's most influential families. A learned family, the Boones fought publicly forthe equality and privileges the colonists so passionately desired. John Boone'sdaughter, Sara, married Andrew Rutledge. They became the parents of two of SouthCarolina's most noted sons: Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration ofIndependence, and John Rutledge, first governor of South Carolina. When Sara Boonepassed away in 1743, she was buried beneath her pew at Christ Church. AnotherBoone grave is located in the Christ Church cemetery. Captain Thomas Boone liesburied beside the magnificent oak avenue he planted.

The Horlbeck family followed the Boone family in Boone Hall Plantation's history. TwoHorlbeck brothers, John and Henry, established one of the first, and the largest,commercial pecan groves here. Some of the trees planted by the Horlbecks stillflourish on Boone Hall Plantation, producing pecans in commercial quantities. TheHorlbeck family also made brick and tile on the plantation. Their work is seen in themain house, in the nine original slave cabins and in the plantation's other brickbuildings. The work can also be seen in some of Charleston's oldest brick buildings.

The OaksIn its three centuries Boone Hall Plantation has remained privately owned, and eachowner has left his influence on the venerable old estate. Captain Thomas Boone, ason of Major John Boone, left a touch overshadowing that of any other owner. In 1743Captain Boone planted live oak trees, arranging them in two evenly spaced rows,framing the approach to his home. He made his avenueso wide that it would take two centuries for the massive,moss-draped branches to meet overhead, forming anatural cathedral nave. Legends claim that CaptainBoone's life ended tragically when he was thrown from afrightened horse, so he never saw his dream mature. Two centuries later, visitors come to Boone HallPlantation each day to admire the impressive results ofCaptain Thomas Boone's foresight and imagination.

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The HouseBoone Hall's original plantation house was built in the mid-eighteenth century, andwas constructed of both brick and wood. In 1935, the present house was built by Thomas A. Stone, a Canadian diplomat who came toknow South Carolina through his wife, a SouthCarolinian. Stone was fortunate in finding enoughof the original, handmade brick stored in goodcondition with which to construct the new house. He also used materials salvaged from the originalhouse, as well as dated woodwork andappointments. Stone built the house to fulfill thetraditional intent of a southern planter's home, acomfortable residence in which elegant roomswelcomed visitors to the plantation in the grandstyle that made the antebellum South legendary.

Today the plantation home remains faithful to its original purpose; it is a privatehome, but visitors receive a guided tour of the first floor rooms. Costumed hostessesinterpret antebellum life and customs as they point out furnishings and householdaccessories of the past three centuries, all carefully selected to reflect the southernplanter's way of life.

The GardensBoone Hall Plantation's formal gardens, their style reflecting theEnglish ancestry of Major John Boone, flank the plantationmansion. The ancient serpentine brick walls and herringbone-patterned walks wind through beds of hundreds of varieties ofcamellias and azaleas. Each year thousands of brilliant bulbs andother flowering plants are added to the formal gardens, carryingout the tradition of symmetry in plantings and color. Each seasonbrings its special beauty to Boone Hall Plantation's gardens.

The Slave CabinsThe nine original slave cabins along the Oak Avenuemake up one of the very few remaining "SlaveStreets" in the Southeast. At one time there weretwenty-seven cabins, arranged in three groups of ninecabins each. These quarters housed house servants,the elite within the plantation system. They alsohoused the skilled slaves that provided blacksmithing,carpentry, weaving sewing, cooking, and other skillsthat supported the

plantation. On July 14, 1983, Boone HallPlantation's nine original slave cabins, smokehouseand oak avenue were listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places.

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The Smoke HouseAnother original building remaining virtually unchanged for centuries is the circular

smokehouse located near the slave quarters. The smokehouse,once necessary to smoke and cure hams and beef for theplantation owner, his family and guests, is a fine example of thevery rare header bond brick work. Here this bond has diamond-shaped diapering worked in glazed headers around the exteriorof the smokehouse. According to the South Carolina Departmentof Archives and History, this unique brickwork confirms the mid-eighteenth century date of construction.

BOONE HALL PLANTATION STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

16. _______________________was the crop grown at Boone Hall Plantation.

17. Sarah Boone’s two sons, Edward Rutledge and John Rutledge were veryimportant to South Carolina. What were they known for?

18. _______________________form a natural Cathedral Nave as you approachBoone Hall.

19. When was the original plantation home built?

20. What kind of slaves lived in the slave cabins found along the Oak Avenue?

21. What impressed you the most about your visit to Boone Hall Plantation?

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Fort Sumter - Where the Civil War Began April 12, 1861

Imagine the excitement! South Carolina became the first state to secede fromthe Union on December 20, 1860. Under the cover ofdarkness on December 26, Major Robert Anderson,commander of Union forces in Charleston, relocated histroops from Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island acrossthe channel to Fort Sumter. Anderson considered FortSumter to be a more defensible position, as it wasstrategically located on an island at the entrance toCharleston Harbor. South Carolina demanded that FortSumter be vacated, but Anderson refused. On January9, 1861, the Union vessel Star of the West attemptedto resupply Union troops garrisoned at Fort Sumter,but was fired upon and turned back by South Carolinaforces defending Charleston Harbor.

Five other states seceded within weeks of South Carolina’s secession. In February,1861, they formed the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama. Byearly March, Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard had taken command ofConfederate forces in Charleston. The Confederates had seized nearly all Federalfortifications in the states of the new Confederacy, but Fort Sumter was an ominousexception.

In early April newly elected President Abraham Lincoln notified South CarolinaGovernor Francis W. Pickens of his intention to resupply Union forces at Fort Sumter. On April 10 the Confederate government instructed General Beauregard to fire uponSumter if necessary to prevent the reinforcement. On April 11 Beauregarddemanded the surrender of Fort Sumter, but Major Anderson refused. Finally at4:30 AM on April 12, 1861, the east mortar battery of nearby Fort Johnson,

commanded by Confederate Captain George S. James, firedupon Fort Sumter. The bombardment of Fort Sumtercontinued for two days from Forts Johnson and Moultrie, fromCummings Point on Morris Island, and from other batteriesaround Charleston Harbor. Major Anderson surrendered theFort on April 13, 1861, and departed the next day aboard shipsbound for New York. No one was killed on either side in theopening bombardment of our nation’s most lethal war,although a Union soldier was killed when a cannon exploded

during the ceremony in which Anderson surrendered the Fort.

The firing upon Fort Sumter marked the beginning of continuous hostilities betweenNorth and South. America’s greatest moment of conflict - the War between theStates - had begun.

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Student Battles Friend and Former Instructor The first battle of the Civil War found a student engagedin hostilities against his former instructor. U. S. MajorRobert Anderson had been the artillery instructor ofConfederate General P.G.T. Beauregard at West Point in1837, and they were close acquaintances. This firstbattle which pitted student against instructor, and friendagainst friend, portended circumstances that would berepeated time and again during the American Civil War,where relatives and friends often found themselvesopposing one another on the field of battle.

During their occupancy of Fort Sumter, Confederate forces endured one of thelongest sieges in modern warfare - over a period of almost two years, 46,000 shells,estimated at more than seven million pounds of metal, were fired at Fort Sumter.

Fort Sumter in Confederate Hands, 1861 -1865 With the withdrawal of Union forces on April 14, 1861, the Confederacy held FortSumter until it was finally evacuated on February 17, 1865, as Charleston fell to theUnion.

A major Union strategy during the war was to capitalize upon the South’ s limitedindustrial base by blockading the importation of war supplies and materials intoSouthern ports. Blockade runners were fast, sleek merchant ships that would runsupplies through the Union blockade to maintain the South’s war making capabilities. The blockade of Charleston could only be of limited effect as long as the South heldFort Sumter because of its strategic location at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. Consequently Charleston became a major port for receiving Confederate warsupplies, and taking back Fort Sumter became the key to closing this breach in theUnion blockade, and capturing Charleston.

Today Fort Sumter is a National Monument administered by the National ParkService. It is located on a man-made island at the entrance to beautiful CharlestonHarbor. Access to the Fort is provided by boats operated by Fort Sumter Tours, Inc.,an authorized National Park Service concessionaire. National Park Service historiansgreet visitors upon arriving at the Fort and explain its history and drama. The Fortfeatures an excellent museum containing many historic and interpretive exhibits.

FORT SUMTER STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

22. _____________ was the first southern state to secede from the Union.

23. The firing upon Fort Sumter marked the beginning of what war?

24. Why was the location of Fort Sumter so important?

25. What did you like best about your visit to Fort Sumter?

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ANSWER SHEET

CHARLESTON - AMERICA’S MOST HISTORIC CITY (PAGE 1)

1. King Charles

2. It was not founded by a particular religious group

3. Because of its abundance and variety of churches. Since colonial days,Charleston has been very tolerant of religious views.

4. Fire

5. Seaport

6. Plantations

7. Yes, there were many slaves; over half the population was black andonly a handful were free.

8. Four

9. The British occupied Charleston and imprisoned the leading citizens.

10. The first shots of the Civil War were fired.

PATRIOT’S POINT (PAGE 4)

11. Aircraft Carrier, Destroyer, Coast Guard Cutter, Submarine

12. World War II and the Vietnam War

13. It recovered the crew from the Apollo 8 mission to orbit the moon in1968.

14. It was attached by 22 Japanese planes, hit by 4 bombs and sixkamikazes in one hour. The ship was kept afloat and shot down 11planes during the attack.

15. (Answers will vary)

BOONE HALL PLANTATION (PAGE 7)

16. Cotton

17. Edward Rutledge signed the Declaration of Independence; JohnRutledge was South Carolina’s first Governor

18. Live Oak trees

19. Mid 18th century

20. House servants and skilled workers such as blacksmiths, carpentersand seamstresses

21. (Answers will vary)

FORT SUMTER (PAGE 10)

22. South Carolina

23. Civil War (War between the States)

24. It was strategically located on an island at the entrance to CharlestonHarbor. As long as the Confederacy controlled Fort Sumter, the Unioncould not successfully blockade Charleston Harbor.

25. (Answers will vary)