During the late 19th century the discovery of phosphate deposits in the Charleston and Florence areas marked the beginning of a rapidly growing industry in South Carolina. Phosphates are rocks formed from the fossilized remains of sea creatures found in areas once covered by oceans. In South Carolina, phosphates were used as fertilizers to extend …
This small collection of letters written by U.S. Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton (1762-1816) documents concerns and developments during the months preceding the War of 1812.
This collection from the South Caroliniana Library consists primarily of the Civil War letters of Edward Laight Wells, discussing the mood in Charleston during the secession crisis in 1860, fighting with the Hampton’s Legion 1864-1865, and the immediate aftermath of the war. Other letters are from Eliza Carolina Middleton Huger Smith discussing the health and …
This collection of papers of the Cox and Chesnut families discusses political, economic, and social aspects of life in the United States during the Early National and antebellum periods. Many of the letters were written between 1792 and 1815 to Mary Cox Chesnut (1775-1864) of Camden, South Carolina, by her mother, Esther Bowes Cox (1740-1814) …
The Negro Travelers’ Green Book was a travel guide series published from 1936 to 1964 by Victor H. Green. It was intended to provide African American motorists and tourists with the information necessary to board, dine, and sightsee comfortably and safely during the era of segregation.
Class composites and group photos of graduates of the MUSC College of Nursing.
This collection is comprised of 15 photographs documenting the destruction Charleston, South Carolina, suffered as a result of the August 1886 earthquake. Locations in the photos include King Street, Market Street, and Hibernian Hall. The massive earthquake occurred on August 31, 1886. Please, also visit the online exhibit, “Faults and Fractures: The Medical Response to …
This travel journal was originally conceived of as a way to assist the friends of Baltimore merchant Robert Gilmor in their future travels, with information about mileage and taverns along various routes. The narrative follows Gilmor’s journey from Maryland to South Carolina, with locations mentioned along the way including Richmond, Va., Raleigh, N.C., and Camden …
Charles Crosland (1845-1918), who served in the 19th South Carolina Cavalry Battalion, with Company H of the Confederate Army’s Hampton Legion, recounts his combat experiences, his father’s death, and the destruction of the Crosland family plantation in Bennetsville. He also references the sinking of the USS Housatonic by the Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley. Lula …
Pierrine Smith Byrd was one of the first 13 women to enroll in the College of Charleston in 1918, and was the first to graduate, in 1922. She was a longtime resident of Greenwood, S.C., and an accredited judge for the American Rose Society. The collection contains memorabilia from her high school and college days, …