Boone Hall Plantation
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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, and called it Albemarle Point. Their trip was financed by eight English noblemen who had been granted a large tract of land in America by King Charles II in return for political favors. These eight Lord Proprietors planned, governed, and prospered from their new colony across the sea. This area was also claimed by the Kiawah Indians whose chief, hoping for protection from more warlike tribes, encouraged the newcomers to build on his lands. In 1680, the Colonists moved their settlement to the present peninsula and named it Charles 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 natural protection from Indians, Pirates, and Spaniards. By 1704, Charles Town was surrounded by fortified walls, complete with drawbridge, making it one of the few walled cities in North America. Unlike many of the other colonies in the New World, Carolina was not founded by a particular religious sect. In fact, the Lords Proprietors, anxious to make a success of their business venture, provided a haven of religious tolerance. By the early 1700's, Anglicans, Anabaptists, French Huguenots, Quakers, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Jews were worshiping in Charleston, and no religious arguments 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 for expansion of the city. The early houses were built of wood and were very close together, perhaps for protection, or because it was the style the settlers had left in Europe. As a result, fire was a major threat. Charleston had been plagued by devastating fires, some wiping out half of the city at a time. Epidemics of smallpox and malaria had also swept through the close quarters of the city. In 1720, angered by unjust laws and inadequate protection, Carolinians met in Charleston and successfully petitioned to abolish the authority of the Lords Proprietors, and to become a royal colony. By this time, Charlestown (as she was spelled under royal rule) had become a flourishing seaport. Wharves lined East Bay St. and shipping accounted for the wealth of the city. Merchants, dealing at first in Indian 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, now became planters. Some of the greatest plantations were located along the Ashley River. Slavery was the impetus behind the success of these plantations. More than half of the population of Charleston was black, and only a handful were free. Most were skilled in rice cultivation. They were also immune to the fevers of malaria that sent the planters to their townhouses during the “sickly time” between May and November. 1 While in town, wealthy Charlestonians enjoyed a diverse social life. There was wide interest 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 major conflict and in 1773, Charleston had its own version of the Boston Tea Party. The city played an important role in the American Revolution, and was home to four signers of the Declaration of Independence. The first major patriot victory of the Revolution was led by Colonel William Moultrie in a still unfinished, palmetto log fort on Sullivans Island, where he repulsed a British attempt to invade Charleston Harbor. However, by 1780, the British had occupied Charleston, and imprisoned leading citizens. The three-year occupation took a heavy toll on the city. A fire (thought to be set by Tories) destroyed the waterfront, and the city had been bombarded and looted by the British. With perseverance, Charleston (the name under which she was incorporated in 1783) rebuilt and once again prospered. The cotton gin and improved rice cultivation boosted the economy. Charleston entered the gracious antebellum period. The city grew and many fine homes were built. However, it wasn’t long before the winds of rebellion were once again stirring in Charleston. The controversy over nullification, states’ rights, and slavery led Charlestonians to vote for secession. On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the War between the States were fired by Confederate forces at Fort Johnson onto federally occupied Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. It was also in Charleston Harbor that the first successful submarine attack was launched when the Confederate submarine, “Hunley,” sank a Union warship (although the crew was lost in the backwash). But the die had been cast. In 1863, Federal troops began a bombardment and siege of Charleston 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 political troubles. Hurricanes in 1885 and 1893, and a great earthquake in 1886, slowed progress in rebuilding. A great hurricane in 1911 was the final blow to the rice industry. But Charlestonians are survivors, and they pulled themselves together with earthquake bolts and determination. Preservation became a way of life, and the fact that many were “too poor to paint and too proud to whitewash,” accounts for many of the architect treasures left standing today. In 1920, the Society for the Preservation of Old Dwelling Houses (now the Preservation Society) was established. In 1931, Charleston adopted the first historic district zoning ordinance in America. Today, the Board of Architectural Review approves all exterior architectural changes on buildings in the historic district. The Federal Government has designated Charleston a National Historic Landmark. Charleston has become a city of renaissance. Once again, she is a city renowned for her arts, architecture, and livability. 2 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 a major 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? 3 PATRIOT’S POINT Located 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 Midway on June 7, 1942. Onboard the decks of this famous World War II aircraft carrier, you can relive a momentous time in America's history. The Fighting Lady contains all the evidence of her past; one can see, touch, feel and smell the past, where young Americans 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. LAFFEY survived the onslaught of Japanese kamikaze attacks while off Okinawa as Radar Picket Station #1 on April 16, 1945. She became known as "the ship that wouldn't die." 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 more than two dozen historic military aircraft are on exhibit. Ashore is a full-size Navy Advance 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 stars for her service in World War II. Naval aircraft launched from her flight deck sank the largest battleship ever built, the Japanese battleship Yamato. Converted for jet use by the addition of an angled flight deck in 1955, she served as an anti-submarine carrier in Vietnam. Before she was decommissioned in 1970, YORKTOWN also played a historic role in the space program, recovering the crew of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to orbit the moon in 1968. Reflecting her role as the National Memorial to Carrier Aviation, YORKTOWN offers dozens of exhibits illustrating daily life aboard an aircraft carrier, the development of carrier design and the careers of historic carriers as well as memorials to carrier sailors killed in action as well as test pilots, naval aviators and aircrewmen. 4 USS LAFFEY DD-724 “The Ship That Would Not Die” The heroic destroyer LAFFEY, commissioned on February 8, 1944, participated in the D-Day landings of Allied troops at Normandy four months later. Transferred to the Pacific, she was attacked by 22 Japanese planes and hit by 4 bombs and 6 kamikazes during a single hour in combat off Okinawa on April 16, 1945. Her gallant crew not only kept her afloat, but managed to shoot down 11 planes during the attack. After World War II, the LAFFEY served during Korea and then in the Atlantic until she was decommissioned in 1975.