Charleston
Crossroads of History
Sun Valley, Calif. : American Historical Press, 2003.
Format: Book
Edition: [Revised edition].
Description: vii, 176 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 29 cm
Residents and visitors alike will be intrigued by this story of America's Most Historic City -- and the story of her people -- told by Charlestonians who intimately know the families, the houses, and the history. This is the story of the Middletons, Laurenses, Lowndes, Pinckneys, Gadsdens and, Manigaults -- the tempestuous, arrogant, independent Charlestonians who seceded not once, but three times: from their Proprietors in 1719, from the British three months before adoption of the Declaration of Independence, and tragically in 1860 from the United States of America. It's all here -- Indian uprisings, slave insurrections, race riots, hurricanes, tornadoes, Scots-Irish immigrants living in earth shelters "rather like potatoe hooses," the wealthy rice planter flaunting his coat of arms on his palatial Battery mansion, the slave boatman who became a United States Congressman -- and the oldest church bells in the city that play "Three Blind Mice." It is also the story of the Charleston described as "one of the finest of our American cities" and the Charleston of defeat and destruction that has risen Phoenix-like from fire, flood, earthquake, pestilence and war to become one of the nation's most visually appealing cities. Charleston has more buildings from more important periods of American history than any other city in America. It is a place where the handsome Georgian mansion commandeered as military headquarters by generals of two occupying armies was still owned two centuries later by the family who built it in 1769. The colorful stories behind historic sites and personalities are illustrated by over 275 photographs and eyewitness accounts which bring to life more than 300 years of history that began with the arrival of the Carolina in 1670 and has continued to the excitement that is the vibrant city of Charleston today. Charleston: Crossroads of History, a volume of history at its best, is certain to prove to be a valuable reference as well as a handsome addition to the library of every friend of Charleston. A special chapter, "Chronicles of Leadership," provides individual histories of area businesses and organizations and details their contributions to Charleston. Finally, an illustrated chronology of significant events enhances the main text and puts it all in perspective. Book jacket.
ISBN:
1892724375
Availability | |||
---|---|---|---|
Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
HISTORY North Am. US SC Lel | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Nonfiction | In |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-168) and index.