The 17th century saw a mass migration of colonists and pilgrims from the west coast of Europe across the Atlantic to the North American continent. Along with Spain and France, Great Britain was a major force in carving out the new frontier that was Colonial America. With a large number of settlers sailing from England, it is not hard to understand why so many settlements were named after British aristocracy.

King Charles II of England granted the Carolina territory to his eight loyal “Lord’s Proprietors.” The first colonists arrived in 1670 at an attractive harbor off the southeastern edge of the lush, green region. They established themselves on the west bank of the Ashley River in what is now the state of South Carolina. They named the settlement “Charles Towne” after the monarch. These early colonists were unhappy with the location and in 1680 they reestablished themselves three miles further down the river onto the peninsula, where the Ashley and Cooper rivers empty into the harbor. The city was re-incorporated in 1722 as “Charles City and Port” and renamed again in 1783 as “Charleston.” The original site still exists as Charles Towne Landing.

Merchants in the young city earned a decent living trading pelts supplied by the Native American peoples along with lumber, beef, hides and indigo. The soil conditions in the Low Country made the region a prime area for growing rice and this became a major part

of the city’s agricultural output for years. Conditions in the Low Country were harsh. Labor was intense and the stagnant, marshy surroundings bred disease. This contributed to a high mortality rate.

With the increasing availability of slave labor from Africa and the Caribbean islands, planters continued to expand their agricultural empires into the fertile Low Country. They built mansions in town to avoid disease-prone conditions brought on by Charleston’s warmer months. Over time, Charleston became the richest town in the colonies. With wealth came position and power, and eighteenth century planters were hungry for a more refined image than that of their recent settler descendants. They began to cultivate as much of a British way of life as they could.

If they impressed each other, they certainly did not impress the British soldiers, who occupied the city from 1780 to 1782. They were particularly harsh on colonial sympathizers. In America, the joke is, “George Washington slept here.” America’s first president did live up to that legend at least once by staying in a Charleston hotel owned by Thomas Heyward, who was jailed for supporting independence. The hotel is now known as the Heyward- Washington house and is a tourist attraction.

Maintaining the Southern way of life was one of driving issues of the mid-19th century, as South Carolina became the focal point of a secessionist movement. With the growing power of the northern abolitionist movement, any threat to state rights was taken seriously. Abraham Lincoln, in the minds of southerners, embodied this menace and after he was elected president in 1860, South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. Local militia began to seize federal forts in Charleston Harbor. By the spring of 1861 only Fort Sumter remained in federal hands. Outgoing president James Buchanan had tried to supply the fort before Lincoln’s inauguration, but the supply ship turned back. From the city, one had a very good view of the fort on April 12, 1861, when southern militia leader General Pierre G.T. Beauregard attacked it. Undersupplied and overmatched, the fort fell to the Confederate forces two days later.

Charleston’s coastal location leaves it vulnerable to storms off the Atlantic Ocean. After the War Between the States, the city was hit hard by hurricanes in 1885 and 1893. The bad luck with storms continued in the 20th century emphatically decimating the rice industry. The Great Earthquake compounded the misfortune in 1886. Some homes are still displaced as much as two inches from the shaking.

In the late 19th century, work in the harbor created a deepwater passage, and a naval base was established in 1901. Throughout the two World Wars and into the Cold War, much of the city’s economy relied on the U.S. Naval Defense industry. Charleston was temporarily hurt in 1993 by the closing of naval bases and shipyards.

After World War II, the port saw an increase in trade and now is a focal point for paper, metalworking, rubber and textile trade, as well as auto parts, chemicals and electrical equipment. Tourism also plays a major role in Charleston’s twenty-first-century economy.

Charleston’s heritage can be seen among the many Plantations in the area including Boone Hall, Middleton Place and Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. Charleston’s early military tradition can be experienced at Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter—both located on Sullivan’s Island—and at The Citadel. To see artifacts of Charleston’s past, one can visit the United Daughters of the Confederacy Museum and The Charleston Museum. Founded in 1773, The Charleston Museum is the nation’s oldest. Charleston’s Historic District has several sections. Most of Charleston’s remaining cobblestone streets can be found in The Walled City. The Business District is home to the City Market. Included among Charleston’s architectural beauty is The Governor’s House Inn (a national landmark) and The Joseph Manigault House.

Much of Charleston’s charm rests in the retention of its past and the blending of its cultural roots with the present. The result is a city and a people that know themselves and their unique place not only in Southern history but in American history as well.