Time Period: The Antebellum South (1816 - 1860)

Mills Atlas of the State of South Carolina

The 1825 publication of Robert Mills’ Atlas of the State of South Carolina marked an American cartographic first. This volume is the first systematic atlas of any state in the union. Remarkably, too, no other state atlas of South Carolina was published for the next century and a half.


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Middleton Family Art Work, 1803-1867

A ten-set collection containing 37 items of measured drawings, ink sketches, pencil drawings and watercolors representing several generations of the Middleton family of South Carolina from 1803-1867. Sets 1-6 contain measured architectural drawings attributed to John Izard Middleton with dates and watermarks ranging from 1808-1813. Five country houses and one greenhouse are depicted in these …


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Micajah Adolphus Clark Journals, 1847-1857

In 1847 and 1857, Micajah Adolphus Clark (1822-1905) traveled from Mississippi to South Carolina and kept detailed accounts of his journeys. He recounts the hardships of travel, miscellaneous expenses, weather patterns, making acquaintances, and overnight stays in various locations. His journals from these expeditions are now housed at the South Caroliniana Library and are presented …


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Waring Historical Library Medical Caricatures

A collection of colorful illustrations satirizing both doctor and patient, illness and treatment. Notable artists represented in the collection include Louis Crusius, M.D., James Gillray, and Louis Boilly.


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McBee Sons & Company Store Ledger Book, 1846 – 1861

The bulk of the entries in this handwritten ledger book date from 1846 and 1847 and are arranged chronologically, offering a day-by-day account of the individuals who transacted business with McBee Sons & Co. The items purchased were mainly household goods such as fabric and sewing supplies or paper, food items such as salt and …


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Sporting Journal of Maxcy Gregg

Maxcy Gregg’s Sporting Journal (1839-1860) describes hunting and fishing expeditions, a record of game animals taken, weather conditions and Fisher’s Pond. Other entries discuss a trip to the mountains (17 July – 12 August 1843), attending “the Washingtonian lecture” in Winnsboro, South Carolina, a mention of David Johnson (1782-1855), who served as governor of South …


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Pawley’s Island Civil Association Collection

The Pawleys Island Civic Association Collection features many of the historic photographs from Pawleys Island: A Century of History and Photographs. First settled by rice planters who looked for an escape from the deadly malaria that plagued the inland areas, the island continues to bring in both returning vacationers as well as first-timers who long to …


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Papers of the Smith and Wells Families, 1856-1914

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 …


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Papers of the Cox and Chesnut Families, 1792-1858

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) …


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Roswell T. Logan Journal 1852-1865

Roswell T. Logan’s Journal, 1852-1865, begins in 1852 with an address before his Charleston High School debate club, the Philomathic Society. Among the many speeches, poems and essays included in the journal are three essays published in the Charleston College Magazine: “Mohammed and His religion” and “College life” in the April 1855 issue and “Goodbye” …


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