Thursday, 18 April 2019
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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For those that remember the 1980s TV series, starring Patrick Swayze, called ‘North and South’, and for those that have seen the film ‘The Notebook’, you will be delighted to hear that a visit to Boone Hall Plantation and the Avenue of the Oaks, is well worth it. They were filmed here.
88 oaks were planted in the 1740s and now form the central avenue to the hall. An impressive sight. The Spanish Moss dripping from the branches resembles large cobwebs.
The hall as stands today dates back to 1936 but the first hall was founded in 1681. The other incarnations, made of wood, blew away in a hurricane.
This hall is built of bricks. Bricks were one of main products of the plantation along with cotton, indigo and, surprisingly, rice.
Slaves made the bricks and at one point in the 1850s, 85 slaves made 4 million bricks per year, using clay from the adjacent river.
Just think about that for a moment.
85 slaves making 4 million bricks a year.
Outside at the front of the house are a number of slave cabins. Bare single rooms with fireplace. Apparently it was common to build slave cabins at the front of the property as a sign of wealth. Inside the slave cabins are excellent displays of what life was like, as well as copies of bill posters advertising slave sales.
Given a display of slave music and singing by a ‘gullah’. A local black person. Her great-grandmother was a slave. The slaves used code and she sings some slave song about going down to the river, which is code for ‘we’re going to escape by the river’. As she sings, most of the black school children who are watching join in. Interestingly, all the whites in the audience don’t sing as they don’t know the song, or its connotations.
The plantation had its own small dock on the river to transport the cotton, rice, bricks and indigo. Surprised to learn that they grew rice in the area and it was apparently introduced by an African slave who showed a local how to grow it.
Fascinating insight into the slave trade.
Out in the harbour is Fort Sumter. Where the American Civil War started. The southern states relied on slaves to do the manual labour in the plantations. The north wasn’t so reliant on slaves as it was industrialised and more a manufacturing economy. Abraham Lincoln elected President was the catalyst as he opposed the slave trade and thus in December 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Ten other states soon followed and with South Carolina, formed the Confederate States of America.
Although South Carolina had seceded from the Union, Federal troops maintained a presence in the state at various forts. Which angered the state as it argued that it should control its own military installations. Whoever controlled the forts, controlled the trade route into Charleston and in April 1861, the Confederate army attacked Fort Sumter. Within four days it was evacuated by the Federal troops and the Confederates subsequently held it for the next four years of the civil war.
After the attack, President Lincoln issued a call to arms to put down the Southern rebellion.
And so began the American Civil War.
Eventually won by the Unionists of the North.
You’re still learning stuff on this blog aren’t you.
Back in Charleston take advantage of one of the many horse and carriage rides. Very pleasant way to see Charleston. Clip clopping along like Steptoe and Son.
Charleston is nice.
Very, very nice.
Well worth a visit. Not like the urban sprawl of Florida.
It’s explained that north of Broad Street it’s ‘the haves’, whilst south of Broad Street it’s ‘the have a lot more’. Oh my. He’s not wrong. There’s some impressive houses here. Built in the 19th century on what was marshland.
Sit next to a couple from Alabama. He’s a NASA rocket scientist. She is very tactile and keeps patting my arm as she talks with me. The more she pats my arm, the more hubbie hugs her. He’s not liking it and doesn’t engage. I listen to her a lot. She’s got a rattle on.
Busy in town tonight in search of a good restaurant. Concierge recommends Hanks for its amazing seafood. Most of the restaurants I pass have queues of people waiting outside on the pavement for a table. Queues of 10 to 30 waiting. Never seen anything like it. There’s a queue at Hanks but that’s for a table. You can walk straight in if you sit at a big long communal table. As I do.
Cracking place and quickly served the freshest scallops.
Melt in the mouth.
