SC Picture Project

Charleston Virtual Field Trip

From the American Revolution to the American Civil War

At the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers sits one of America's most historic and beautiful cities-Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in the 1600s and named for King Charles II, Charleston's warm climate and natural harbor led to the rapid expansion of the city and its population. By the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Charleston was America's fourth largest city and boasted the most prosperous harbor in the thirteen colonies. By the time of the American Civil War, Charleston was the hotbed of secession. South Carolina was the first of eleven states to secede from the United States, and it was in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, that the first shots of the Civil War were exchanged. 

Join us as we take to the streets and waves of Charleston. You'll spend time in a dungeon at Charleston's Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. We'll go below the waves and behind the scenes at the Friends of the Hunley as we explore the wreck of the first successful combat submarine. Learn how to fire a cannon at the oldest building in the Carolinas - the Powder Magazine. Shop at the oldest market in Charleston. Stand inside of the fort where the Civil War began. Head to Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens to learn about the Gullah Culture. And don't miss lunch at Poe's Tavern. 

Access our teacher resource guide and classroom video questions.

Rev War  |  Video

The Ten Crucial Days

VIDEO | December 25, 1776: Victory or Death. General Washington opted for a last bold strike against the British by attacking the garrison at Trenton...

Charleston Harbor

The city of Charleston sits at the end of a peninsula where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet and empty into Charleston harbor and the Atlantic Ocean...

Charleston City Market

One of downtown Charleston's most popular places to visit is the City Market. Originally laid out in the 1790s on land donated by Charles Cotesworth...

Andrew Oliver

Born in 1706, Andrew Oliver grew up among an affluent Boston family. His father, Daniel Oliver, made his fortune as a prosperous and politically...