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. She received five battle stars for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean service.

Aboard the LAFFEY you can see the bridge, battle stations and living quarters as well as exhibits of memorabilia and memorials to the destroyer men of 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 career that spanned more than 50 years.

Commissioned in 1936, INGHAM cruised in Alaskan and Pacific waters prior to World War II. During World War II, she participated in 31 convoys including those of the "Bloody Winter" of 1942-43 in the North Atlantic and was credited with the sinking of the Nazi submarine U-626. Read the journal of Ensign Joseph Matte on board INGHAM, while conducting convoy duty in the North Atlantic from 16 February 1942 to 19 April 1943. Well after the war ended, she continued her tradition of valorous service, receiving two Presidential Unit Citations for duty off Vietnam and ending her career with major victories in the "War Against Drugs.”

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

5 USS CLAMAGORE SS-343

USS CLAMAGORE was commissioned on June 28, 1945, as the war in the Pacific was drawing to a close. Based at Charleston for much of her career, she cruised Atlantic and Mediterranean waters for nearly thirty years, including critical patrols at the height of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Twice modified from her original World War II configuration, Clamagore continued in service as one of the U. S. Navy's last diesel-powered submarines until decommissioned in 1975.

Aboard the Clamagore, it is easy to visualize what it was like to live onboard a submarine, visit her control room, crew's berthing and mess areas, engine rooms, maneuvering room and a memorial 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.

6 Boone Hall Plantation

The Plantation was part of a series of land grants from South Carolina's Lords Proprietors to Major John Boone, the earliest grant dating from 1681. As cotton became king of Southern agriculture, Boone Hall, a cotton plantation spread over thousands 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's history. Major John Boone came to South Carolina's shores with the first group of English settlers, known as the "First Fleet." For many years the Boones were one of the state's most influential families. A learned family, the Boones fought publicly for the equality and privileges the colonists so passionately desired. John Boone's daughter, Sara, married Andrew Rutledge. They became the parents of two of South Carolina's most noted sons: Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and John Rutledge, first governor of South Carolina. When Sara Boone passed away in 1743, she was buried beneath her pew at Christ Church. Another Boone grave is located in the Christ Church cemetery. Captain Thomas Boone lies buried beside the magnificent oak avenue he planted.

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

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

7 The House Boone Hall's original plantation house was built in the mid-eighteenth century, and was constructed of both brick and wood. In 1935, the present house was built by Thomas A. Stone, a Canadian diplomat who came to know South Carolina through his wife, a South Carolinian. Stone was fortunate in finding enough of the original, handmade brick stored in good condition with which to construct the new house. He also used materials salvaged from the original house, as well as dated woodwork and appointments. Stone built the house to fulfill the traditional intent of a southern planter's home, a comfortable residence in which elegant rooms welcomed visitors to the plantation in the grand style that made the antebellum South legendary.

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

The Gardens Boone Hall Plantation's formal gardens, their style reflecting the English ancestry of Major John Boone, flank the plantation mansion. The ancient serpentine brick walls and herringbone- patterned walks wind through beds of hundreds of varieties of camellias and azaleas. Each year thousands of brilliant bulbs and other flowering plants are added to the formal gardens, carrying out the tradition of symmetry in plantings and color. Each season brings its special beauty to Boone Hall Plantation's gardens.

The Slave Cabins The nine original slave cabins along the Oak Avenue make up one of the very few remaining "Slave Streets" in the Southeast. At one time there were twenty-seven cabins, arranged in three groups of nine cabins each. These quarters housed house servants, the elite within the plantation system. They also housed the skilled slaves that provided blacksmithing, carpentry, weaving sewing, cooking, and other skills that supported the plantation. On July 14, 1983, Boone Hall Plantation's nine original slave cabins, smokehouse and oak avenue were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

8 The Smoke House Another 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 the plantation owner, his family and guests, is a fine example of the very rare header bond brick work. Here this bond has diamond- shaped diapering worked in glazed headers around the exterior of the smokehouse. According to the South Carolina Department of 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 very important to South Carolina. What were they known for?

18. ______form a natural Cathedral Nave as you approach Boone 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?

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

Imagine the excitement! South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. Under the cover of darkness on December 26, Major Robert Anderson, commander of Union forces in Charleston, relocated his troops from Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island across the channel to Fort Sumter. Anderson considered Fort Sumter to be a more defensible position, as it was strategically located on an island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. South Carolina demanded that Fort Sumter be vacated, but Anderson refused. On January 9, 1861, the Union vessel Star of the West attempted to resupply Union troops garrisoned at Fort Sumter, but was fired upon and turned back by South Carolina forces 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. By early March, Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard had taken command of Confederate forces in Charleston. The Confederates had seized nearly all Federal fortifications in the states of the new Confederacy, but Fort Sumter was an ominous exception.

In early April newly elected President Abraham Lincoln notified South Carolina Governor Francis W. Pickens of his intention to resupply Union forces at Fort Sumter. On April 10 the Confederate government instructed General Beauregard to fire upon Sumter if necessary to prevent the reinforcement. On April 11 Beauregard demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter, but Major Anderson refused. Finally at 4:30 AM on April 12, 1861, the east mortar battery of nearby Fort Johnson, commanded by Confederate Captain George S. James, fired upon Fort Sumter. The bombardment of Fort Sumter continued for two days from Forts Johnson and Moultrie, from Cummings Point on Morris Island, and from other batteries around Charleston Harbor. Major Anderson surrendered the Fort on April 13, 1861, and departed the next day aboard ships bound for New York. No one was killed on either side in the opening 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 between North and South. America’s greatest moment of conflict - the War between the States - had begun.

10 Student Battles Friend and Former Instructor The first battle of the Civil War found a student engaged in hostilities against his former instructor. U. S. Major Robert Anderson had been the artillery instructor of Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard at West Point in 1837, and they were close acquaintances. This first battle which pitted student against instructor, and friend against friend, portended circumstances that would be repeated time and again during the American Civil War, where relatives and friends often found themselves opposing one another on the field of battle.

During their occupancy of Fort Sumter, Confederate forces endured one of the longest 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 Fort Sumter until it was finally evacuated on February 17, 1865, as Charleston fell to the Union.

A major Union strategy during the war was to capitalize upon the South’ s limited industrial base by blockading the importation of war supplies and materials into Southern ports. Blockade runners were fast, sleek merchant ships that would run supplies 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 held Fort Sumter because of its strategic location at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. Consequently Charleston became a major port for receiving Confederate war supplies, and taking back Fort Sumter became the key to closing this breach in the Union blockade, and capturing Charleston.

Today Fort Sumter is a National Monument administered by the National Park Service. It is located on a man-made island at the entrance to beautiful Charleston Harbor. Access to the Fort is provided by boats operated by Fort Sumter Tours, Inc., an authorized National Park Service concessionaire. National Park Service historians greet visitors upon arriving at the Fort and explain its history and drama. The Fort features 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?

11 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 and only 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 in 1968.

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

15. (Answers will vary) BOONE HALL PLANTATION (PAGE 7)

16. Cotton

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

18. Live Oak trees

19. Mid 18th century

20. House servants and skilled workers such as blacksmiths, carpenters and 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 Charleston Harbor. As long as the Confederacy controlled Fort Sumter, the Union could not successfully blockade Charleston Harbor.

25. (Answers will vary)