A group of colonists sailing from England in 1670 landed
in what is now known as Charleston Harbor. They chose a
higher piece of land approximately 5 miles upstream as
their first settlement & named it Albemarle Point
(Charles Towne Landing).
The colonists' journey from England had been sponsored
by 8 English noblemen - Lords Proprietors - who had been
given a large tract of land in America by King Charles
II in return for political favors. These Lords
Proprietors planned & governed the colony which
flourished over time.
The settlers moved their colony to its present place on
the peninsula in 1680 naming it Charles Towne after King
Charles. This peninsula location was bounded on 3 sides
by water (the Ashley River, the Cooper River & the
Atlantic Ocean), making it a better location for trade &
commerce, as well as affording better protection from
the Spaniards, Indians & pirates.
Wanting their venture across the sea to be successful,
the Lords Proprietors decided to offer Charles Towne as
a settlement of religious tolerance. As early as 1700,
Anglicans, Presbyterians, French Huguenots, Quakers,
Anabaptists, Jews & Congregationalists were all
worshipping in the Charles Towne settlement. By law, no
religious arguments were allowed.
Charles Towne, as it was first called, was established
in 1670 by Anthony Ashley Cooper on the west bank of the
Ashley River, Charles Towne Landing, a few miles
northwest of the present downtown. By 1680, the
settlement had grown and moved to its present peninsular
location. With a profusion of churches, Charleston to
this day is still called the "Holy City".
By 1720, the residents of Charles Towne successfully
petitioned the Lords Proprietors' to become a royal
colony. By this point in history, Charlestowne (the city
spelling under royal rule) had become a prosperous
seaport in the trade of indigo, rice & slaves.
By the mid-1700's, Charlestowne was the 4th largest &
the wealthiest city in colonial America. Merchants,
seeing the wealth that could be made in rice & indigo,
themselves becames planters. Some of the largest
plantations from this period in history were located
along the Ashley & Cooper Rivers. Slavery was the
momentum behind the successful achievement of these
planters. Most of the slaves were brought in from West
Africa & the Barbados. They were already skilled
planters & were also immune to the malarial fevers that
plagued this area during May through November. Note that
some of the mansions seen in Charleston today were the
'town houses' that were built & lived in by the planters
during these months.
In 1773, Charlestown revolted against the royal rule's
unjust taxes & put on their own version of the Boston
Tea Party. Charlestown was a major force in the American
Revolution, being home to 4 signers of the Declaration
of Independence. Colonel William Moultrie led the first
major victory of the Revolution from Fort Moultrie on
Sullivan's Island, where he drove away British forces
trying trying to enter Charleston harbor. By 1780,
however, the British occupied Charlestown, with
imprisonment of leading citizens, fires, bombardments &
looting destroying many of the buildings along the
waterfront during the 3-year occupation.
Charleston, the name the town was incorporated as in
1783, began rebuilding & once again became a prosperous
town. But it wasn't long before Charleston rebelled once
again due to the controversy over nullification, state's
rights & slavery. Charleston voted to seceed from the
Union & on April 12, 1861, Confererate forces at Fort
Johnson fired on federally-occupied Fort Sumter in
Charleston harbor. These shots would become known as the
first shots of the War Between the States.
Federal troops bombarded Charleston in a siege that
lasted from 1863 - 1865, a period of over 1 1/2 years.
The city was in shambles by the end of the war. Although
rebuilding progress was slowed by earthquakes,
 hurricanes, heavy taxes & shortage of capital,
Charleston eventually pulled through, although
Charleston's place as an important seaport was not fully
regained until after World War II. Today Charleston is
one of the foremost ports in the United States for
container cargo.
Charleston's determination was once again tested when
Hurricane Hugo, one of the worst storms to hit the U.S.
in the 20th century, came to town. The tidal surge &
prevailing winds left few buildings on the peninsula &
surrounding islands untouched. Rebuilding began
immediately under the watchful eye of Charleston's
Architectural Review & Historical Society.
Charleston, considered by many to be a city of
renaissance, is today returned to her days of grandeur &
is a city recognized for her arts, architecture &
historical significance. The entire Historic District of
Charleston has been designated as a National Historic
Landmark by the Federal Government.
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