“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.
Video
Before the American Revolution, the 300 mile coast line of South Carolina was known as the "Kingdom of Rice." Charleston was considered the richest city in Colonial America.
Video
The Civil War marked the beginning of the decline of rice in South Carolina. Although planters continued growing rice during the Civil War, Georgetown experienced an economic down-turn as a result of...
Video
The Middleton Plantation, just south of Charleston, is presently a museum. The Middleton Plantation is an example of rice wealth during the early 1800s, and many other planters sought to style their...
Video
This clip explains the process in which rice is grown, and harvested.
Video
An essay called "The Successful Planter," published in 1832, outlined a system of every day life for slaves living on plantations. State law in the 1830s forbade the education of slaves, but many...
Video
"Saltwater Slaves" brought over from Africa, became highly sought-after, since many of them already had experience growing rice before being brought over to the "New World."
Video
With the majority of men off fighting the war overseas, women on the home-front had to step up to take on jobs that men would usually do. Most war machines and weapons, such as tanks, airplanes, and...
Interactive
Located in downtown Charleston, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is nationally recognized as one of our country’s most significant historical sites. Click play to view the tour on your device View...
Audio
For the second lecture in this four-part series of Conversations on South Carolina: The State and the New Nation, 1783-1828. Dr. Larry Watson discusses slavery in South Carolina. Professor Watson is...
Photo
Charleston's Municipal Airport, on the grounds of the old colonial French Botanical Gardens, had its start in 1929 under the administration of Mayor Thomas P. Stoney. By 1945, the air age was well...
