South Carolina History is American History
This lecture shows how the story of South Carolina deeply impacted the story of the United States. Using numerous examples from the 16th century onwards, this lecture demonstrates how the actions of South Carolinians and events in South Carolina contributed to the success of the British colonies in North America, the colonial rebellion and the […]
Walterboro’s “A Christmas Carol” & Reconstruction in the SC Lowcountry
Just a few days before Christmas on Wednesday, December 22, 1880 in the town of Walterboro, South Carolina, a local newspaper published a unique 14-stanza holiday poem about the town, its local businesses and personalities. Aptly entitled “A Christmas Carol,” the poem is a fascinating glimpse into a southern town on the brink of change, […]
Her Mark: Black Women’s Voices from Union Pension Records
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of African American women applied for US pensions based on the military service of their husbands during the American Civil War. Their incredible first-hand descriptions chronicling their day-to-day lives, financial struggles, family histories, local events, etc. provide a powerful commentary on the history of […]
North Carolina’s Black Union Veterans in the South Carolina Lowcountry
Dive into the history of the 35th US Colored Troops as they overcome the deprivations of slavery, the challenges of freedom and the struggles of Reconstruction. The presentation looks at the regiment’s service in South Carolina during the Civil War, as well as the Reconstruction history of communities throughout Colleton, Dorchester, Beaufort and Charleston counties […]
The History of Penn School—Penn Community Services (1862-1960s)
Discover the incredible legacy of Penn School, one of the first institutions in the South to provide formalized education to formerly enslaved people. This session traces its evolution from a groundbreaking school to a hub for social justice and community activism. Learn how Penn Community Services became a beacon of hope for African Americans during […]
The Honorable Hastings Gantt and Robert Smalls: Servant Leaders of South Carolina
Explore the intertwined legacies of Hastings Gantt and Robert Smalls, two visionary leaders who shaped South Carolina’s political and social landscape. Both men rose from slavery to serve in the South Carolina Legislature, advocating for civil rights, land preservation, and education for African Americans. Discover how Gantt’s dedication made Penn School possible and how Smalls’ […]
The Reconstruction Era (1861-1900): Focusing on South Carolina
Delve into the transformative years during and following the American Civil War, focusing on South Carolina’s critical role during the Reconstruction Era. This presentation explores the social, political, and economic changes that shaped the state’s journey toward healing and rebuilding. Learn how African Americans in South Carolina navigated newfound freedoms while fighting for equality and […]
Little Known Stories of Reconstruction
For over 150 years, the story of Reconstruction in South Carolina was largely distorted or ignored in history books. Using old newspaper accounts and archival material, this presentation tells of how South Carolina once came close to being a bastion of equality before things went horribly wrong. This story serves not only as an example […]
The 1895 Segregation Fight in South Carolina
This story, long buried in old newspaper accounts, tells the forgotten saga of the six brave men who tried to stop the segregation laws from passing in South Carolina. For three months, six Black leaders of the Reconstruction era argued eloquently at the State Constitutional Convention in the face of vile threats, racial insults, and united opposition, […]
Slavery to Civil Rights: A Tour Through Time of Charleston’s African-American History
Did you know the author of Amazing Grace sold a shipload of slaves here? Charleston was the center of the English slave trade. Estimates are over 40% of the Nameless Enslaved sold in all thirteen colonies were sold here. This presentation tells the story of historic Charleston from the perspective of the African-American experience. During the chronologically […]
Richard T. Greener
Donald Sweeper brings to life professor Richard T. Greener, the first African American to graduate from Harvard University and the first African American faculty to teach at the University of South Carolina during Reconstruction from 1873-1877. At the University of South Carolina, Greener reorganized and cataloged the library holdings which were in disarray after the […]
What Civil War Are We Talking About? Southern Honor and the Myth of the Lost Cause
In the aftermath of a brutal Civil War, many southerners justified their sacrifice by creating a romanticized version of the War. Prominent people like South Carolina’s Wade Hampton and LaSalle Corbell Pickett, widow of the famed Confederate General, promoted a version of the War that justified the South’s secession, casting doubt on the real causes […]
A general reading and discussion of Sojourn’s in Charleston, followed by Q&A
This presentation is a journey to Charleston after the Civil War and into the twentieth century, as portrayed by its visitors, including such luminaries as William Dean Howells, May Sarton, and Norman Rockwell. Just as the Civil War was ending, northern journalists descended on Charleston to write about the ruin of the city from the […]
Women in Reconstruction: The Lives of Susie King Taylor, Charlotte Forten, and Laura Towne
Susie King Taylor escapes bondage at the age of fourteen; Charlotte Forten, an educated teacher from Philadelphia, boards a steamship, as does Laura Towne, a Boston medical school graduate. All three end up in Beaufort and the South Carolina Sea Islands in 1862. Three women of different backgrounds, ages, and race. Where did they come […]