SC History

Produced in 1976 for the Profile series, this program begins with Senator Hollings' upbringing in Charleston, and his graduation from The Citadel in 1942. He served in the Army in World War II, attaining the rank of captain. He then attended law school at the University of...

Former S.C. Governor and U.S. Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings died on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the age of 97. A Democrat, he held elective office for over fifty years. In 2008, Hollings talked with Walter Edgar about his life in politics and government, and about how to "...

Lander University recented hosted a symposium on World War I, which ended just over a century ago. The symposium drew scholars and authors primarily from the Southeast to discuss various aspects of the war, which then was known as "The Great War." One aspect covered by a...

Ernest “Fritz” Hollings was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1922. He graduated from The Citadel in 1942 and served as an artillery officer in World War Two. After the war, he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 1958, at age 36, he was...

The Freedmen’s Bureau had responsibility for every aspect of the lives of formerly enslaved people, and was in charge of land that came under federal control during and after the Civil War. In 1872, Congress shut the Freedmen’s Bureau down, but today Freedmen's Bureau...

After the war, the South, and the nation, faced the question of how to make the transition from slave to free labor. Most former slave owners insisted that they should get their land back and maintain control over their workers, even if they had to use force. Freedpeople...

Enslaved people did not have full rights to their children, or control over their lives. When freedom came, parents could take an active role in the upbringing of their children, leading to stronger parental bonds and more stable families. Reconstruction 360 is a digital...

Historian Kate Masur explains the origins of 40 Acres and a Mule, a famous phrase that many have heard but may not fully understand. It originated in the early days of Reconstruction, when General Sherman issued Field Order 15, giving thousands of freed people abandoned...

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., has said, "Reconstruction is one of the most important and consequential chapters in American history. It is also among the most overlooked, misunderstood and misrepresented." Gates' new four-part television series for PBS, Reconstruction:...

Reconstruction 360 is built on a 360 degree video platform that features a reenactment set on a farm in 1865. The reenactment was shot at Freewoods Farm, a living farm museum in the Freewoods community near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Today, the descendants of the...

In 1700, a young man named John Lawson left London and landed in Charleston, South Carolina, hoping to make a name for himself. For reasons unknown, he soon undertook a two-month journey through the still-mysterious Carolina backcountry. His travels yielded A New Voyage to...

"B" is for Brown, William Melvin, Jr. (1934-1994). Manufacturer. A native Charlestonian and a graduate of South Carolina State, Brown served in the Army, taught in the Charleston County schools, and was the first black insurance consultant in Charleston. In 1972 he created...

"C" is for Cofitachiqui. Cofitachiqui is the name of a sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Native American chiefdom as well as one of the principal towns of the chiefdom. The town of Cofitachiqui was located on the bank of the Wateree River below the fall line near present-...

"C" is for Coker, David Robert (1870-1938). Businessman, plant breeder, philanthropist. Following his graduation from the University of South Carolina, Coker managed the J.L. Coker and Company. Illness led him to withdraw from the business and to focus on his first...

"C" is for Coker, Charles Westfield (1879-1931). Businessman, philanthropist, social reformer. At an early age, Coker became involved in his family’s various business enterprises. In 1899, when the Cokers organized the Southern Novelty Company in Hartsville, he became its...