Charleston

“Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state.”

“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.

Carolina Day Photo Gallery | History In A Nutshell
Carolina Day Photo Gallery | History In A Nutshell
Episode 2

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This photo gallery contains the following: The original Moultrie Flag - The precursor to the S.C. State Flag. Map of Fort Sullivan as it appeared on June 28, 1776 Map of Charleston Harbor during the...
Carolina Day | History In A Nutshell
Episode 1

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Are you a South Carolinian looking for another reason to fire up the grill and celebrate in the month of June? This episode of History in a Nutshell explores the S.C. centric holiday known as...
Richard Fields | SC African American History Calendar
Episode 4

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Judge Richard E. Fields was born and raised in Charleston, S.C. He attended high school at the Avery Institute, graduated from West Virginia State College in 1944, and earned his law degree in 1947...
The Planter at the Gate, Part 4
Episode 4

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President Lincoln blockades Southern ports. The Union takes Port Royal Sound. The coastal planters flee leaving tens of thousands of enslaved people free.
The Planter at the Gate, Part 1
Episode 1

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An inland planter from Edgefield fears the loss of his way of life as a plantation master. In due time, Thomas Lamar will stand directly in the Union Army’s path to Charleston.