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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.

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Carlisle Floyd | S.C. Hall of Fame Anne Worsham Richardson | S.C. Hall of Fame

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Anne Worsham Richardson | S.C. Hall of Fame
Known as the “Charleston Bird Lady,” Anne Worsham Richardson (1919-2012), renowned wildlife artist, was sometimes dubbed the Audubon of her time. No other South Carolinian has done more to portray the...
 The War On The Coast | Walter Edgar's Journal

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The War On The Coast | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 1
In this first segment on the war at sea, Dr. Craig L. Symonds outlines the war on the coast in four parts: the legality of the blockade, whether or not the blockade worked, how effective it was in...
 Wits Versus Numbers | Walter Edgar's Journal

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Wits Versus Numbers | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 3
In this segment, Walter Edgar and Dr. Symonds discuss some of the technological innovations the Confederacy used to try and combat the blockade. Some of these innovations include use of mines...
The War On The Coast | Walter Edgar's Journal
 - Episode 1 The C.S.S. Hunley | Walter Edgar's Journal

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The C.S.S. Hunley | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 6
Dr. Symonds addresses the importance of the C.S.S. Hunley: History’s first operational submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat, the U.S.S. Housatonic.
 Abandonment Of Fort Wagner | Walter Edgar's Journal

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Abandonment Of Fort Wagner | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 5
September 6, 1863: The final assault on Battery Wagner by Federal forces causes the Confederate troops to abandon the fort. With Battery Wagner now empty, the Union troops can now turn their guns on...
Abandonment Of Fort Wagner | Walter Edgar's Journal
 - Episode 5 Life In Fort Sumter | Walter Edgar's Journal

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Life In Fort Sumter | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 6
Fort Sumter, now heavily damaged from years of attacks by the Union fleet, is a tough place for Confederate forces to live: living in trenches over-run with rats and roaches, while under constant...
Abandonment Of Fort Wagner | Walter Edgar's Journal
 - Episode 5 The Massachusetts 54th | Walter Edgar's Journal

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The Massachusetts 54th | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 3
Dr. Stephen R. Wise talks more in depth about one of the first African American regiments, the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. The 54th suffers heavy losses during...
Abandonment Of Fort Wagner | Walter Edgar's Journal
 - Episode 5 The Beginning of 1863 | Walter Edgar's Journal

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The Beginning of 1863 | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 1
Dr. Stephen R. Wise discusses the early days of the Civil War, in Charleston, S.C. The war began with the firing on Fort Sumter, which painted Charleston as a prime target for the Union. Leading up to...
Abandonment Of Fort Wagner | Walter Edgar's Journal
 - Episode 5 Blockade Runners | Walter Edgar's Journal

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Blockade Runners | Walter Edgar's Journal
Episode 8
In the final part of the Fight for Charleston, Dr. Wise talks about Confederate blockade runners. Blockade runners played a crucial role in bringing supplies to support the South’s war effort. The...
 Vesta Mills | South Carolina Public Radio

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Vesta Mills | South Carolina Public Radio
“V” is for Vesta Mills of Charleston. In 1899, Spartanburg textile manufacturer John Montgomery and New York merchant Seth Milliken purchased the Charleston Cotton Mills and renamed it Vesta Mills...
 Audubon, John James | South Carolina Public Radio

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Audubon, John James | South Carolina Public Radio
“A” is for Audubon, John James [1785-1851]. Artist. Ornithologist. Naturalist. Born in Santo Domingo and reared in France, Audubon arrived in America in 1803. By 1820 he was supporting himself as a...
Dorchester | South Carolina Public Radio Drayton, Percival | South Carolina Public Radio

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Drayton, Percival | South Carolina Public Radio
"D" is for Drayton, Percival [1812-1865] In 1864, he commanded Admiral David Farragut's flagship, the U.S.S. Hartford, at the Battle of Mobile Bay. It was to Percival Drayton that Farragut shouted the...