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The History of Charleston
Home » South Carolina » Charleston History and Overview » The History of CharlestonPosted by Your Guide on May 10, 2006 5:21 PM
To say that Charleston is rich with history would be an understatement. The city was founded in 1670 as Charles Town Landing after King Charles II of England. It once served as the social, political and economic center of the colonial Carolinas. The city became quite popular for its religious leniency and churches of 12 different denominations planted here, earning Charleston the nickname of “The Holy City.” Today, there are over 175 churches to choose from.
Charleston was an influential city in the formation of our country because of the pivotal war battles that were fought here. Because Charleston was located on the coast, it was the frequent victim of attacks from land and sea. The attackers were generally Spain and France, who were retaliating against England’s claim to the region; Native Americans who were resisting the settlement of the colonizers; and even pirates. Charleston became a key player in the initiation of the Revolutionary War. Charlestonians protested the Tea Act of 1773 by stealing tea and hiding it in the Exchange Custom House, which is where they declared themselves free from the British government. Because the city became a clear target for the angered British, the steeples on the churches were painted black to camoflauge the city in the night sky as British warships approached Charleston. Ironically, the site of the first patriotic victory of the Revolutionary War is located at Ft. Moultrie in Charleston which occurred in 1776.
Over the next one hundred years, the economy and population grew in Charleston as it became the wealthiest city south of Philadelphia. The bustling seaside city was the fourth largest port in the colonies and more than half of the population was comprised of slaves. Plantation owners initially capitalized on harvesting rice and indigo, but the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 quickly made cotton the most profitable industry. Exporters amassed fortunes by trading slaves, rice and cotton. Today there are still black ancestors who speak Gullah, a dialect that combines African American structures with French, German and Dutch words – all cultures who lived and worked in Charleston.
Charleston played a major role in the initiation of the Civil War as well. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, and appropriately the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter. The city was also the site of the first submarine warfare in 1863 as the H.L. Hunley attacked the USS Housatonic. Because the population had a majority of black slaves, the end of the Civil War left many blacks unemployed and facing poverty. Growing industries in the city rescued Charleston from facing a tragic scenario.
But the battles don’t stop there – Charleston has been attacked at all angles by natural disasters. Devastating hurricanes, deadly earthquakes, fires and even plagues have ravaged the city over the years. In 1886, a 7.5 earthquake shook the city and was felt as far away as Boston and Bermuda. The most recent and destructive natural disaster was Hurricane Hugo that hit the area in 1989, destroying many of the buildings and especially hard hit were the island communities. Amazingly, many of the historic buildings and homes have been preserved through all of this devastation.
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