On May 12, 1780, American forces in Charles Town—now Charleston, South Carolina—surrendered, bringing to an end a weeks-long British siege of the city. It was one of the most significant defeats for the American side in the Revolutionary War, leaving a gaping hole in the defense of the Southern Colonies. Though widespread fighting ceased in North America with the British defeat at Yorktown in October 1781, British forces occupied Charleston until December 1782 before finally evacuating. They left behind the scars of war and a legacy that your group can discover today in one of America’s oldest cities.
Had it not been for the efforts of Col. William Moultrie and his men, the British may very well have captured the city years earlier. The Royal Navy was repelled in a 1776 siege of Charleston’s Fort Moultrie, despite the fact the fort was half completed and built of soft palmetto logs and sand. The British would eventually capture the fort in the Siege of Charleston, but relinquished it following their 1782 evacuation, and the site remained a U.S. military installation until its decommissioning in 1947. Now administered by the National Park Service, groups can discover its entire legacy today through guided tours, exhibits, and interpreters.
Your group can continue exploring Charleston’s Revolutionary history at places like the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, built as a customs house and later becoming a prison for Continental troops during British occupation. Step into the Heyward-Washington House, home of Thomas Heyward, one of four people from South Carolina who signed the Declaration of Independence. Or visit the estate at Middleton Place, which survived sacking by British troops and later was burned by Union troops in the Civil War, and now is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore more of Charleston’s Revolutionary sites here.
Main Image: Fort Moutrie; Credit: Adobe/Zack Frank
