
Charleston Virtual Field Trip
From the American Revolution to the American Civil War
At the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers sits one of America's most historic and beautiful cities-Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in the 1600s and named for King Charles II, Charleston's warm climate and natural harbor led to the rapid expansion of the city and its population. By the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Charleston was America's fourth largest city and boasted the most prosperous harbor in the thirteen colonies. By the time of the American Civil War, Charleston was the hotbed of secession. South Carolina was the first of eleven states to secede from the United States, and it was in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, that the first shots of the Civil War were exchanged.Â
Join us as we take to the streets and waves of Charleston. You'll spend time in a dungeon at Charleston's Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. We'll go below the waves and behind the scenes at the Friends of the Hunley as we explore the wreck of the first successful combat submarine. Learn how to fire a cannon at the oldest building in the Carolinas - the Powder Magazine. Shop at the oldest market in Charleston. Stand inside of the fort where the Civil War began. Head to Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens to learn about the Gullah Culture. And don't miss lunch at Poe's Tavern.Â
Explore The History of Charleston
The Reasons for Secession: A Documentary Study
10 Facts: The Founding Fathers
A Brief History of Slavery in the United States
Bleeding Kansas
The Intolerable Acts
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Explore the History of Charleston
- Charleston Harbor »
- Charleston Powder Magazine »
- HL Hunley »
- Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens »
- Charleston City Market »
- The Siege of Charleston - Horn Work »
- Benjamin Lincoln: Revolutionary Revenge »
- Benjamin Lincoln »
- Cornwallis: A Great British General »
- Henry Clinton: The General who Lost America »
- Henry Clinton »
- Siege of Charleston Harbor | Mar - May 1780 »
- Charles Pinckney »
- History of Fort Moultrie »
- Sullivan's Island »
- Charleston »
- Charleston Non-Importation Agreement »
- The Problem in Charleston Harbor »
- Charleston Harbor Defenses | Apr 1861 »
- Charleston Harbor S.C. Bombardment of Fort Sumter »
- Naval Operations in Charleston Harbor »
- The Charleston Mercury »
- Fort Sumter »
- Robert Anderson »
- P. G. T. Beauregard »
- The Battle of Secessionville »
- Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard to Maj. Robert Anderson »
- Secessionville »
- Fort Wagner »
- Fort Wagner and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry »
- African Americans in the Civil War »
- African Americans and the Revolution »
- African Americans in America's Wars »
- Robert Gould Shaw »
- Search Our Medal of Honor Database »
- The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. »
- Revolutionary War Crash Courses »
- Civil War Crash Courses »
- A Teacher's Guide to Civil War Movies »