“Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state.” Situated in the Lowcountry, the county serves as a popular vacation destination but also relies on the business that results from its port. The area in general serves as a large cultural and economic hub for the state.
Charleston County was founded as Charleston District in 1769, and the district became smaller after some of its lands were used to create Colleton and Berkeley counties. The county and its seat were named after King Charles II.
The city and county are saturated with Revolutionary War and Civil War history. Three signers of the United States Constitution and two famous abolitionists resided in Charleston County, and the Civil War began when soldiers fired shots from the county’s Fort Sumter.
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At 9:45 p.m. on August 31, 1886, a major earthquake struck Charleston. There were 27 people killed in the collapse of buildings, and another 33 died later of injuries. Buildings were destroyed, roads...
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In an effort to disrupt the federal blockade, the Confederacy resorted to many ingenious plans, but perhaps the most daring of all was the attempt to build and use a submarine. The "Hunley" eventually...
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A Confederate ram under construction in Charleston. From "Leslie's Illustrated Weekly." Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
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In this segment, a student asks why Francis Marion is called the Swamp Fox, and the answer is given that he was one of the first to use what we now know as guerilla tactics. He would hide in the swamp...
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The successful assault on Hilton Head and Beaufort left many buildings in ruins, such as this "Beacon House" on Morris Island, photographed after the battle by Sam A. Cooley for the 10th Army Corps...
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In December of 1861, a great fire swept through Charleston, destroying much of the city, and making the defense of the city even more difficult. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library.
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The housetops of Charleston during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. From "Harper's Weekly." Courtesy of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
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Fort Sumter, viewed here from the rear, could not be re-supplied without the Confederate forces in Charleston acquiescing; which they were determined not to do. As Major Anderson's garrison saw their...
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The entry of Major Robert Anderson's (see Major Robert Anderson) command into Fort Sumter on Christmas night, 1860. After the secession of the seven deep South states, federal troops withdrew from...
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The National Democratic nominating convention in session at Institute Hall in Charleston on April 28, 1860. The convention was unable to bridge the differences between northern and southern wings of...
