Confrontation to Conflict: SC's Path to the Civil War Exhibit Opening

Many thanks to The State for publishing Dr. W. Eric Emerson's article on the importance of the Ordinance of Secession. The creation of this document, no matter what your feelings are surrounding the time period in which it was written, changed the nation forever. It is incumbent upon us to "explore exactly how this occurred and to reshape long-held notions regarding
the document's place in our state's past and future." (excerpted from the editorial "How South Carolina Changed the World" by Dr. Emerson that appeared on 12/12/2010)

The 150th commemoration of South Carolina's Secession is a somber occasion to reflect on all aspects of that time in our history and take the opportunity to explore all causes including slaery. We are not dismissing the notion that slavery was the cause. It is our responsibility to recognize that cause as well as the other factors that helped motivate the creation of the document. We are more educated if we look at all pieces of the puzzle and not just the straight edges around the border.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History's exhibit, From Confretonation to Conflict, depicts South Carolina's path from Nullification to Secession through historical documents. Please join us for the opening of the exhibit on Friday, December 17th at 11 am and check them out for yourself.

We would not presume to expect you to change your opintion on that period of our history, merely to open your mind to historical facts depicted in official state documents. You might be surprised.

To see the full article published in The State, please use this link: http://www.thestate.com/2010/12/12/1600767/emerson-how-south-carolina-changed.html

Flower of the Holy Night By Caleb Miller

Euphorbia pulcherrima is a flowering plant that grows in Mexico and Central America. It is commonly known as the Poinsettia Flower, named after South Carolinian, Joel Roberts Poinsett. He was the first U.S. Minister to Mexico and found the plant in an area of southern Mexico called Taxco del Alarcon. He sent some samples back home and introduced the flower to the United States. The flower is known in Mexico as the "Christmas Eve Flower." According to legend, a poor young girl had no gift to give at the Christmas Eve celebration. An angel told her that any gift given in love is a wonderful gift. She then picked weeds from the side of the road and wrapped them in a bouquet. She presented her weeds at the celebration and because of her sincerity, the weeds transformed into a beautiful red flower. That's how it became known as the Flower of the Holy Night. Poinsett died on December 12th, 1851 and in 2002 Congress created National Poinsettia Day to honor the poinsettia plant industry to be celebrated on December 12th every year.

Editor's Note: For more information on Joel R. Poinsett, there is a great biography of him available in "A History of the War Department of the United States; With Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries" by Lurton Dunham Ingersoll published in 1880 by F. B. Mohun. It is available on google books: http://books.google.com/books?id=mAsSAAAAYAAJ

Pearl Harbor by Caleb Miller

December 7th marks the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in 1941. Six Japanese aircraft carriers launched a total of 414 aircrafts to attack the harbor. Five midget submarines were sent as well. The aircraft had a total surprise advantage in the first wave, which was led by Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. Fires quickly erupted on ships and explosions rang through the air. A second wave of aircraft added to the damage. The cost for the Americans was high. Four battleships, two destroyers, and one other ship were sunk. The old battleship Utah, which had been commissioned as a target ship, capsized, which killed six officers and fifty-two other men. Eighteen planes had been destroyed and 155 were damaged. Casualties were high for the US military, with 2402 dead and 1,247 wounded. Civilians were also caught in the fire with fifty-seven dead and thirty-five wounded. The Japanese were not unscathed. Twenty-nine planes were shot down and all five submarines did not return. Fortunately for the US, most of the ships would be raised and/or repaired. Sadly, the battleships Oklahoma and Arizona would not serve again. The Oklahoma was capsized and was sold for scrap while the Arizona was broken by an explosion and left on the bottom of the harbor. She is still there today. The battleship Utah could also not be raised and is still at the harbor. Americans were outraged at the treacherous attack. Ironically, Japanese diplomats had been talking to the State Department thirty minutes before the attack. There are theories that the US Government had advance-knowledge of the attack, but we are still unsure. The President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a famous speech about the attack, where he called it "a date which will live in infamy." We honor those who died in this infamous attack on its 69th anniversary.

SC Legislators Look Back to Move Forward with Secession, 13 November 1860

As the state of South Carolina prepared for secession, this General Assembly Resolution, dated November 13, 1860, revealed that the state’s leaders felt it wise to review the records of the state conventions considering Nullification (in 1832-1833) and secession (1852), as well as relevant acts and resolutions from those times.

The document seen below authorized the State Printer to print and bind 500 copies of these key records.

Citation: Resolution to Authorize the State Printer to Print and Bind 500 Copies of the Acts and Resolutions off the Current Legislative Session Together with the Proceedings of the State Conventions of 1832, 1832, and 1852. 13 November 1860. Resolutions of the General Assembly, 1779-1879. S165018. SC Department of Archives and History.

To view more records like this online, click here.

Resolution to Call Lincoln's Election a Hostile Act, 9 November 1860

[The South Carolina Department of Archives and History contains many records documenting the Palmetto State’s experience during the Civil War. As we approach some key dates marking the Civil War Sesquicentennial, we hope to provide a regular series of posts based on the records in our collection.]

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. This news left the nation on edge as all eyes looked to South Carolina to see if the Palmetto State would actually make good on its threat to secede from the Union. This General Assembly Resolution of November 9, 1860 (see below) may be the state's first official response to Lincoln's election. South Carolina's decision to “dissolve her connection with the government of the United States” led to the most profound constitutional crisis and bloodiest war in our history.

Written by John Winsmith of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly, this resolution was introduced before the House on November 9, 1860. It directly addressed the concerns and fears of white South Carolinians about the election of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s election, as this resolution states, was “based upon principles of open and avowed hostility to the social organization and peculiar interests of the slaveholding states.”

Immediately after Winsmith’s resolution, George A. Trenholm introduced another resolution regarding the election of a “Black Republican President.” His resolution outlined how Lincoln’s victory was a detriment to South Carolina and other slaveholding states. Additionally, South Carolina ought to preserve her sovereign rights by raising supplies and preparing a plan to arm the state. Due to the similarities of these two resolutions, Winsmith’s resolution was added as an amendment to the Trenholm resolution. On November 10th, 1860, the resolution was discharged as a Special Order. This resolution served as a harbinger of what ultimately came to pass on the evening of December 20, 1860, at the Institute Hall in Charleston, the Ordinance of Secession.

The document featured above is but one example of the many records that can be found on the state archives Online Index. A search for “Lincoln, Abraham” reveals five records, one of which being the resolution featured above.

Happy Birthday Lady Liberty

A ceremony of dedication to a famous monument was held 124 years ago on October 28th. This monument is none other than the Statue of Liberty. It was made in France as a gift to the people of the United States. The French artist Frederic Bartholdi designed the statue after being inspired by a comment said by Edouard Rene De Laboulaye. It is a universal symbol of freedom, democracy, and international friendship. The statue represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch in one hand stretched upward, a tablet in the other that is inscribed with the date of the American Declaration of Independence, and a broken chain lies at her feet. President Grover Cleveland presided over the Dedication Ceremony. The statute was installed near Ellis Island, which has ever been in its shadow. Immigrants who went through the gates there felt hopeful as they looked at the inspiring monument. It was designated a national monument in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge. Ever since, it has been one of America's most famous symbols.

We're the Best, We're the Top...

Family Tree Magazine has published a "Best State Websites 2010" list and the South Carolina State Archives was picked as one of the best across the country! The magazine mentions our online records index with over 300,000 records (many with images) including state land grant plats, Confederate veteran records, criminal court records, and so much more. They even talk about our section dedicated to maps of how our counties were formed. We are thrilled to be part of this list and are excited to have the years of work our staff have put in be recognized. We hope you continue to utilize our site for research, we are adding to it all the time!

Seeking Rosenwald Schools

by Haley Grant, USC Public History Graduate Student

This summer, I had the opportunity to survey Rosenwald Schools as part of my graduate internship in the State Historic Preservation Office at Archives and History. I looked in Allendale, Barnwell, Chester, Chesterfield, Darlington, Edgefield, Fairfield, Hampton, Lancaster, Laurens, and Union Counties—of those eleven counties surveyed three Rosenwald Schools were found standing. Canebrake School in Saluda County, Black Creek School in Chesterfield County, and Mt. Calvary School in Allendale County (above left) have now been confirmed and further documented. SHPO staff members Brad Sauls, Jennifer Satterthwaite and even Tracy Hayes from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Southern Office tagged along as their company and driving skills made concentrating on navigation a great deal easier.

The surveys were conducted using topographic, satellite, and Google Street View maps. Fortunately, many rural roads are in Street View! Unfortunately, this does not mean that all rural roads shown in Street View are nicely paved the entire distance needed to search for a particular school (I’m talking to you, Red Point School in Union)! Street View helped in narrowing down possible existing schools versus schools that were simply not standing. Counties were chosen if surveys had not been conducted, to follow up on past surveys, or if the possibility of a standing school looked promising. In total, forty-three schools were site-surveyed. Along the way, several possible Equalization Schools were spotted, and many wonderful historic buildings were ogled.

But more on what we found! The Canebrake School in Saluda County (left) is currently in use as a residence and has been owned by the same local family for over fifty years. Originally, the school was a Two-Teacher Tuskegee Plan and has had minimal additions over time. No construction date is given. Black Creek School in Chesterfield County (below) is also currently used as a residence. This school follows a typical Two-Teacher Rosenwald Plan and was built in the 1925-1926 budget year.

Mt. Calvary School (pictured at top) 1920-1921, in Allendale County was the last found. The school sits across from a church in a very rural setting. In poor condition, this school is overgrown both with greenery and political election signs. The Allendale Historical Society has been made aware of our findings and will hopefully spur on some community action. For more information about Rosenwald Schools see http://www.shpo.sc.gov/rosenwaldschools.htm and
http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/rosenwald-schools/region/rosenwald-schools/

Celebrating Archives Month

Did you know that October is National Archives Month? South Carolina Archives have lots of great events and exhibits planned and we hope you'll join us in celebrating the wonderful treasures we preserve! The theme this year, Documents Can Change a Nation, focuses on the importance of the records archives have. We don't just have paper, we have records that resonate and mark significant state and national historical events! We encourage you to visit our 2010 Archives Month website for all the latest event and exhibit happenings in South Carolina. http://scarchivesmonth.palmettohistory.org

Arrgh, there be a holiday to celebrate

September 19th is the international holiday "Talk like a Pirate Day." This holiday was created by John Baur and Mark Summers, alias 'Ol' Chumbucket' and "Cap'n Slappy" in 1995. It causes people to talk like pirates, villainous theives and cutthroats who preyed upon ships and settlements around the world centuries ago. Pirates are famous in the world today for their deeds and speech. The state of South Carolina has be subject to pirates as well, including two famous ones. Blackbeard (Edward Teach) and Stede Bonnet both did crimes around the future Palmetto State. Charleston was blockaded by Blackbeard in the spring of 1718, with Bonnet among Blackbeards crew. The town gave into the demands eventually. Bonnet and Teach both got pardons fro the government in North Carolina. However, both reverted to piracy before long. Blackbeard died fighting the crew of the HMS Pearl on November 22, 1718 just off the coast of Ocracoke Island, NC. It took five shots and twent sword wounds to kill him. His head was cut off, hung on the Pearl's bowsprit and his body thrown overboard. Coincidentally, Bonnet was captured and put on trial in Charleston, SC. He pleaded for his life which convinced many of the ladies to support his request. Although his sentence was delayed many times, he wa hung on December 10, 1718. So... a vast ye swabby landlubbers! Give it your best shot, or you'll walk the plank!

Want to know more about Pirates off the coast of South Carolina? Seek and plunder through the informational treasures here at the state archives like the Records of the Register of the Secretary of the Province 1714-1719 (see excerpted image) or microfilm of records from the British Public Records office.

Constitution Day Approaches

Hey everyone, did you know that Friday, September 17th, is Constitution Day? One of our fabulous volunteers is going to be a guest blogger letting us know about cool facts like this one. He's seventeen and has aspirations of being a writer and we thought blog posts would be a great way to practice and help us out. So here is Caleb's first posting all about Constitution Day:

On September 17, 1787, the US Constitution was signed by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. On the anniversary of that day we celebrate Constitution Day. The holiday was established in 2005 as part of a new law. South Carolina sent four delegates to the convention, where 39 out of 55 delegates signed the document created to give America fair laws and a stronger federal government. These men were Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, John Rutledge, and Pierce Butler. Rhode Island did not send any delegates to the convention. The youngest signer was John Drayton at age 26, while the oldest was Benjamin Franklin at age 81. This year is the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the document. Be sure to celebrate it this week on Friday!

For more information on the US Constitution, check out the National Archives website http://www.archives.gov/

Annual Civil War Symposium is Approaching

This December marks the 150th anniversary of South Carolina secession from the Union. Happy Sesquicentennial South Carolina! And what better way to celebrate this anniversary than to register for our Annual Civil War Syposium, September 24th and 25th. You'll meet great people, see original documents, and learn about South Carolina and her role in the Civil War. The line up so far has some phenomenal speakers including featured speaker, Dr. William W. Freehling. Dr. Freehling has been teaching, researching, and writing about the Old South and the Civil War for over forty years so you don't want to miss a chance to hear and meet this award winning historian. Registration information can be found at http://civilwarsymposium.palmettohistory.org/ and we hope to see you all there!

Danger from the Air

The popular Historical Marker program sees all kinds of interesting tidbits and facts about South Carolina history. Two recent historical markers tell stories that may make you look to the sky to avoid more unexpected falling objects.

The first details an 1861 balloon landing (yes, that’s right, a balloon!) in Union County just days after the Civil War began. Can you imagine the surprise felt by both local residents and the pilot? Here’s the text:

On April 20, 1861, only days after the Civil War began at Fort Sumter, scientist and aeronaut T.S.C. Lowe (1832-1913) landed the Enterprise, a large gas balloon, on a nearby farm. Lowe was on a test flight in preparation for a trans-Atlantic attempt. Southeasterly currents had carried him 800-900 miles by air from Cincinnati to Union District in less than nine hours. Many locals assumed that Lowe was a Yankee spy, and it was difficult for him to convince them that he was not. He was taken to Union and spent the night there under guard. Taken to Columbia, he was allowed to return north by train after several gentlemen vouched for his reputation as a scientist. Lowe later founded and directed a balloon corps in the U.S. Army in Virginia 1861-1863.

Erected by the Union County Historical Society, the marker is located at 657 Pea Ridge Hwy. (S.C. Sec. Rd. 44-13), Kelton vicinity in Union County.

The second records another falling object with potentially much more deadly consequences (thankfully avoided) nearly 100 years later at Mars Bluff in Florence County. Here’s the text:

In 1958, in the midst of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb near here. The unarmed 7,600-lb., 10’8”-long bomb was aboard a B-47E bomber on a training mission headed for England. Its high-explosive trigger detonated on impact, making a crater as large as 35 feet deep and 70 feet wide./ (Reverse) The bomb landed in the woods behind the asbestos-shingle-sided home of railroad conductor Walter “Bill” Gregg (d. 1921). Gregg, his wife, their three children, and a niece were injured by the concussion, which destroyed the house and outbuildings and did slight damage to buildings within a 5 mile radius.

Erected by the Florence City and County Historical Commission, the marker is located at E. Marion Hwy. (U.S. Hwy. 301/76) near the Francis Marion University Campus, Mars Bluff. A nearby trail leads to the crater site.

These stories are now recorded in durable cast aluminum for travelers to see, and in digital bytes for anyone in the world to read via the South Carolina Historical Markers database http://www.scaet.org/markers/.

The Never-Ending Document!

One of the volunteer projects we've been working on around the archive is rehousing the Charleston Equity Court Bills, and we found a very interesting one last week. The clerks actually pasted pages together to create a longer document, which we've seen before. However this particular one was 88' long! Yes, feet. We unrolled it in the lab to measure and we had never seen anything quite like it before. Ergo, it merited photos to share. (This is in the conservation lab, one of our very long rooms, containing fancy humidification chambers, book presses, document spas, and lots of other fabulous things for making your treasures last a long time. Shameless plug.)

And in case you're thinking of doing this yourself, know that eventually that glue will break down and the pages will separate, and no, they are not numbered. Which is why you should bring it in for us to fix up for you. =)







Thanks to our wonderful volunteers - we need you more than ever now!

....

A sad day today as we bow to the ugly reality of budget cuts and say farewell to some of our faithful staff. A lot of our faithful staff, actually.

There just aren't enough words - .

Sanford vetos could close the doors at SC Department of Archives & History

Dear friends:

The SC Department of Archives and History needs your help. Yesterday, Governor Sanford announced his vetoes of the state budget. Among them were three cuts to the SC Department of Archives and History budget, totaling $980,945. (The House and Senate had approved a budget of the $2,445, 764 in state funds plus $200,000 in stimulus funds for the agency for FY 2010-2011.) A link to the Governor’s veto is below.

http://www.scgovernor.com/NR/rdonlyres/1F1ECBAF-9D5D-4C9A-9BEF-136EDBC7F128/35706/H4657AppropriationsAct1.pdf

Veto 29: Administration and Planning – Other Operating Expenses $635,445

Veto 30: Old Exchange Building -- $145,500

Veto 104: Stimulus Funds -- $200,000

These cuts will make it impossible for Archives and History to continue to fulfill its mission.

If the services and programs of Archives and History have been helpful to you, would you consider letting your local legislator know today, as well as Representative Dan Cooper, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Representative Chip Limehouse, Chair of the House subcommittee dealing with Archives and History. The legislature will be in session on Tuesday (June 15) to consider the Governor’s vetoes. Our ability to continue to serve you and the citizens of South Carolina depends upon your support.

To find your local legislators you can use this search page from the South Carolina Legislature Online. http://www.scstatehouse.gov/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe

Rep. Daniel T. Cooper (R)
District No. 10-Anderson County
525 Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, SC 29201
803-734-3144

Rep. Harry B. "Chip" Limehouse III (R)
Dist. No. 110-Berkeley & Charleston Cos.
326 Blatt Building, Columbia, SC 29201
803-734-2977

On behalf of our director, W. Eric Emerson, staff, and countless patrons, thank you for your support.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth M. Johnson

Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
SC Department of Archives and History
8301 Parklane Road
Columbia, SC 29223
phone: 803.896.6168 fax: 803.896.6167
E-mail: emjohnson@scdah.state.sc.us Website: http://shpo.sc.gov/

Collect Your Own!!

Did you like the currency in the last post? Now you can buy your own - REAL - collection!

SC Civil War Era Bank Notes on Sale in Memphis

The SC Archives has been selling individual bank notes issued by the Bank of South Carolina during the Civil War on eBay but we are now announcing a new auction opportunity. Heritage Auction Galleries, the World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer, is offering large lots of the notes in their June Signature Auction in Memphis, TN.

For information about the auction, bidding, and owning a piece of South Carolina history, check out the Heritage Auction web site: http://currency.ha.com/common/auctions/?ic=Tab-Auctions-041408

The proceeds from the auction sales are used to help pay for the preservation and conservation of our collections. Good luck with your bidding!

Ye Olde Currency

Some bits and pieces lying around hither and thither...fractionals used as "change" back during one of those many war-time metal shortages, and a gem of SC currency from the Civil War era.

Remember the Robert Mills Atlas?

He's that guy, who drew those maps...yeah. Well, here's his petition to the Senate of South Carolina regarding the pricing of his forthcoming atlas of the state, circa 1825.

Money, money, money. (Isn't that an ABBA song?)

More Saturday Hours!

This Saturday - May 8th - the archives will be open from 8:30am-5pm. Don't miss out!

Canals, anyone?

Found: the plan appended to the petition of Richland County residents asking for an extension to the existing Columbia canal, circa 1836.

[Will eventually be cross-posted to facebook.]

What's Up Now

Why the dull times around FB and the blog? Well, the archive staff are busy moving offices - internal-only, making room for renting office space out. So most everyone's been more or less sucked into some kind of office-cleaning-out-packing-unpacking-sorting-files-equipment-computer-moving black hole. I'm sure they'll be back later.

Unless they get buried in their cubicles. That would be unfortunate.

Saturday Hours!

The archives will be open tomorrow from 8:30-5, on one of our rare open Saturdays. Come on by and see what you can discover!

Dinner on Wheels

Remember that train lecture series presented at the Archives in January and February? It concluded with a real dinner on a real dining car (although the food was catered, because the actual dining car has problems with lead in the kitchen). Behold, some photos from the event - and the sharp-looking fellow in the hat is lecturer Rodger Stroup:

The Photo Policy

Since we've had some photo & image questions, we're going to interrupt today's posting of evil paper clip damage (also viewable on our facebook page) to clear up the photo policy for our viewers. It's pretty simple:

1. Technically, this blog has nothing to do, officially, with SCDAH. It is run solely in volunteer capacity. Ergo, SCDAH (the agency) does not own the blog content, but it tolerates it, and can - and does - object at any time when it feels misrepresentation has occurred. Any objected-to content is removed, because we're a friendly blog, and a friendly facebook.

2. Photos and images posted are posted by permission of their respective owners. SCDAH does not own the images unless they are actually borrowed from their image repositories. The images are deliberately not meant to be professional, high-quality reproductions, because that's not what we exist for. If you would like a high-quality reproduction of any document image you see, you'll need to go to the archives and request a copy for personal use. If you want a copy of any photo you see, you'll need to contact that photo's owner. This applies to facebook as well.

3. If you see yourself in a photo on either the blog or our facebook page, and object, or find your photos used without permission (for example, someone forwarded it along without your knowledge and it ended up here or on facebook), simply let us know (email the moderator) and it will be removed.

'Nuff said. Now y'all behave yourselves out there.

Stealth Reconstruction

There's a book tour/signing going on March 9 for Glen Browder's book, Stealth Reconstruction: An Untold Story of Racial Politics in Recent Southern History. That's 5:30pm at the Statehouse, and if you're interested in modern southern history, it looks to be promising. There's more to it than just that, so the flyers will be posted either here or on our Facebook site, or both, so you can see the rest.

Of note: despite the flattery printed on all the ads, the South Carolina Department of Archives & History is *not* a sponser of these events. It's nothing personal against the author or anyone else, we just don't want y'all thinking we're spending money we don't have on things we can't afford, no matter how interesting they may be.

Updates! and Notes on the Zen of Archiving

So it's been a while. Busy couple of weeks. Not a lot of good news floating around the archives, but on the up side, March 13 is the first Saturday of four that we'll be open with extra hours (8:30-5pm). Take advantage while you can!

It's contest season for those of you who are interested in the National History Day program, and for those of you who want to participate, they always need people to volunteer, whether as judges or simply to post signs. Odds are that there's a contest in your region, going on now. Or very soon. And of course, there's the state contest here in April. Start looking here.

Now, onto the zen of archiving. "Zen" being used loosely here, of course.

I've been chewing over the dichotomy of archival work, specifically that of public history. On one hand, as a professional, you're obligated to protect and defend, as it were, the records that constitute the known history of said particular locale (in this case, a state). On the other hand, you are summarily required to provide access to these records. Very often, these two demands are at odds - excess handling, copying, usage, etc. tends to destroy documents over time. But locking them away in a climate controlled, sterile environment for all eternity is (while perhaps best for preservation) contrary to everything the historical community stands for (knowledge and truth seeking), and in this case, possibly illegal (hence the public in public records).

Trying to find a happy medium, then, is the best one can presumably achieve. But how does one define balance between destruction and preservation, access and exclusivity? At what point is the line drawn, and a decision made: to prioritize preservation over access, or knowledge over future existence, or worse yet, that no one cares? Is there a way to do it all?

Go see Richard tell 'em how it's done.

Are you interested in archives, library and information science, or just wondering how we keep track of it all here? You might be interested in this upcoming talk given by our own Richard Harris on the USC campus March 22!

Dr. Jennifer Marshall's SLIS 750: Information and Records Management and the Archival Students Guild will be hosting a guest speaker!

Who: Richard Harris, Manager of Records Services at the South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History

Topic: Administering/managing a records management program for state agencies and local governments, including SCDAH’s electronic records management activities.

When: Monday, March 22 at 5:00 pm

Where: Room 112 in Davis College

Everyone is welcome! Come join us!

Light refreshments will be provided!

Sorry, We Left the TP on the Tracks in Gainsville

Queen Victoria saw her first train in 1836. What does that have to do with South Carolina's history? That's an excellent question for some grad student who needs a thesis topic.

Tomorrow's lecture at the archives starts at 5:30pm. Topics include the development of railroad stations (hey, we couldn't ride nonstop like cattle forever, and someone's got to take care of the train), logging and phosphate railroads (mmm, phosphates, so tasty...), and the Piedmont and Northern railroads.

Come one, come all, get munchies beforehand, and if you missed last week's discussion on when exactly real toilets became standard equipment on trains (the 1970s; prior to that date, think outhouse dropping onto the tracks), you missed a seriously ripe reality check.

Who wants to go on a tour?

As our agency is co-sponsoring this event, I can pass this along - bus tours! For the Civil War buffs out there, there are available tickets for 3 different Sherman's March Bus Tours with The Greater Columbia Civil War Alliance as part of Columbia's Longest Days: February 1865.

In commemoration of General Sherman's March to Columbia, SC, and the burning of the city in February of 1865, a full day of educational and fun activities will be held on
Saturday, February 13, 2010

Schedule of Events:
Re-enactment of Cannons Firing on State House • 8:45am
Gervais Street Bridge, West Columbia, South Carolina
(Alexander at Meeting Street)
The day begins with Union canons firing once again upon the South Carolina State House. This very popular re-enactment features period cannons and Union soldiers following the command of General Sherman. The event takes place at the exact time of day and location of the original firing, the West Columbia side of the Gervais Street Bridge.

Civil War Expo • 9am - 4pm
The Atrium of the South Carolina State Museum
301 Gervais Street
Columbia, South Carolina
This expo includes artifact displays, performances by living historians of Mary Boykin Chesnut and Wade Hampton III, as well as living history demonstrations of spinning and needlepoint in the atrium and artillery demonstrations on the lawn. Entrance to the atrium activities is free. The S.C. Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum admission will be reduced to $2 for adults and free for those under 21.

Sherman's March Bus Tours • 9:30am & 2:30pm
Tickets ($20 per adult/per tour) must be purchased in advance. Tours will leave from the parking lot of the South Carolina State Museum and each will last approximately 3 hours.

The Congaree Creek Bus Tour (9:30am) includes first hand accounts of Union soldiers, reporters and Columbia residents; visits the original earthworks built for the Confederate defense, remains of one of the largest textile mills of the early 1800s, and the bridge abutments of the Gervais Street and Saluda River Bridges burned by Confederates to slow the Union troops.

Kilpatrick's Occupation and the Burning of Lexington (9:30am) will follow the path Union soldiers took upon entering Lexington; tell the story of Union troop occupation and the burning of the town; pass Historic homes used by Union and Confederate troops; and end at St. Stephen's Church that was ransacked by Union troops.

Sherman's Left Wing Bus Tour (2:30pm) will visit skirmish sites, where dismounted Confederate cavalry and artillery disputed the Union army's crossing the river; local re-enactors will make these skirmishes come alive; visit campsites of the Union army and numerous sites.


Bus tour tickets can be ordered by contacting Bri Jackson at (803) 217-0071 or GCCWA@knappagency.com.

Old Skool

Since we're experiencing some problems adding files to our facebook photo album "Buried Treasures", you get to view here the following rules for the Yorkville Female Academy, dated 1820. My favorite part is the cost of tuition.

So Popular!

Guess who else made it in the news? Rebekah Dobrasko from the State Historic Preservation Office, in an article about mid-century school construction in response to "separate but equal". Props to Rebekah, too!

The State article is here: Segregation Spurred SC School Building Spree.

Props to Steve!

Did you miss it? Our very own Steve Tuttle was on WIS TV last night (at 6 and 11, and I watched both just to make sure) giving commentary about the difficulty in tracing African-American family history. He did an excellent job of representing the archives, and we're proud to call him our own.

And a shout out to a dedicated researcher, Urica Pope. May you easily find exactly what you're looking for, as in every genealogist's dreams. We admire your perseverance.

If you truly missed it, the article and interview with Judy Gatson is here. The suggested links on the related page are here, and the WIS TV series on Black History Month is here. Enjoy!

ARCHIVE SATURDAY HOURS!

(Hey, we're excited. We used to have Saturday hours, but we can't afford them anymore without outside help.)

Have you been wanting to drop by the archives and see if you can't find your grandfather's draft card? Or poke around and see what else you can find? Maybe you have a paper for school and would like to use our resources, or you're a panicky graduate student with a term paper recently assigned, or a teacher looking to integrate more actual sources with your lessons. Maybe you're just curious about what we have here, but haven't found our normal hours convenient.

Thanks to a grant from the SC Archives & History Foundation, SCDAH will be open on four Saturdays (and four only, right now) from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, so mark your calendars:

Saturday, March 13
Saturday, April 10
Saturday, May 8
Saturday, June 12

We hope to see you there!

"Blood Be Upon Your Head"

Here's an event invitation that looks promising, but note that the registration cost increases after Monday, Feb. 1.

"Blood Be Upon Your Head"
Tarleton and Buford at the Waxhaws
February 27, 2010
Lancaster, South Carolina

Andrew Jackson State Park, Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution, the American Revolution Association, the Friends of Andrew Jackson State Park, and the Friends of the Medford Library invite you to attend a one-day program: "Blood Be Upon Your Head" - Tarleton and Buford at the Waxhaws" on February 27, 2010. The conference will be held at the University of South Carolina-Lancaster with an afternoon tour of Buford's battleground. Examine the research and the myths surrounding this clash between units of British cavalry and American infantry to understand why scholars have been debating about this battle for 230 years.

Presenters include Todd Braisted of The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies, Dr. Jim Piecuch of Kennesaw State University as well as David McKissack and Scott Miskimon who are both well-versed in the history of the Virginia Continental Line. Lee McGee will present on the tactics and training of Revolutionary War era cavalry and Bill Anderson will map the daily movements of the troops involved. Archaeologist Scott Butler will explain his research on the archeology of the battleground.

The registration fees are $50 per person and $85 per couple until February 1, 2010. After February 1st, the rates increase to $65 per person and $120 per couple. Conference registration opens at 8:30 am and the program will begin at 9:00 am in the Bradley Building on the USC-Lancaster campus. Lunch is included. For more information and registration, contact Andrew Jackson State Park (803) 285-3344 or andrewjackson@scprt.com

We History Types Call This The Romantic Period

That is, the period of history in which "romanticism" took over, which is basically a classical revival in nearly all works of art stretching from literature to fashion to painting to architecture. (And by classical, we mean classical, as in, it was trendy to revisit the imagined lifestyles of the Greeks and Romans.) Newspaper columns were not immune, as evinced by the heading of this clipping from 1861*, where Lady Liberty is perched with a cupid-cherub in a natural, out-doorsey scene:


*Why is there handwriting that says 1863? It was filed with a group of legal papers in 1863, and thus dated to its filing date.

I promised a review of the Railroad Lecture Series, so here it is: Last week's lecture on the history of the railroads to the Civil War by former SCDAH director Rodger Stroup was an enjoyable experience that I found to be, at an hour's length, not long enough. For those who fear speeches, I can assure you it was not a bit dull, and filled with Ye Olde Photos, sketches of various locomotives, Nifty Antique Maps, and even a little model of the Best Friend of Charleston on display. (Plus, if you looked carefully, I was there, taking notes while quietly bleeding from slicing my hand open right before the lecture began.)

Attendance was healthy with a good-humored, intelligent crowd offering feedback and interaction with our lecturer; Director Eric was perched in the back; refreshments were provided; and if I'm not mistaken, our much beloved Rodger was wearing a dapper red train tie.

Fun fact from Lecture #1: the construction of the original "Southbound Railroad" running from Charleston to Hamburg - built to capture the cotton trade heading down the Savannah River - cost about $950,000 in 1830s dollars to build. Playing with various currency inflation converters will get you an equivalent of approximately $28 million in today's value. And the original track began to require extensive repairs within a few years of construction. Oh, what we could do with that money around here!

See you at tonight's lecture - trains from the Civil War to 1900.

Path to the Stacks

Or, Wait, I Can Do What With My Degree?

Graduate school at a large research university exposes one to the peculiar variety of faculty temperaments found at an institution where the phrase “publish or perish” is bandied about over coffee. On the one hand, it brings in excellent faculty, trotting around waving their Ivy league doctorates, their prestigious awards, fellowships, committees, obligations, and, in a few cases, demanding entourages. There’s the group that loves to research their field, and resent having to teach at all. There’s the group who loves to teach, and is annoyed by the pressure to publish profusely or be replaced. And largely, there’s a group trying frantically to balance it all and have a real life, too, you know, one with a mortgage and kids and a lawn to mow and maybe the time to see a movie once in a while.

In the perfect world, grad students are expertly trained in their field of study and properly prepared for a career path, whatever the path may be in their chosen field. Choosing a career path is dependent on student motivation, and also on advisor willingness to make the student aware of options they may be overlooking. And this particular balance has been the subject of freak-outs by those in the archival profession for decades. Research and presentations on the subject of archival awareness and training date back at least 40 years in the trade journals, such as the Journal of American Archivists. Who are these students? How many are there? Are there enough to support and expand the field as people retire? Are they getting the right education to be ready for employment without too much investment on the part of their employers? Do they even know that the archival profession exists and is a viable option? How do we recruit more? Etc.

If (sigh) only (alas) those were the problems nowadays. Budget cuts have closed archival training programs at major universities (and for that matter, at least one also suspended its history teaching & certification program, creating a history-major crisis among students and setting the stage for an entirely new set of problems in the future [No history teachers!]). Archives themselves have been the subject of enormous cuts across the country. Some close, some dissolve, some are “restructured” into nonexistence or folded into sister institutions or libraries that are also facing red tape. Now the opposite problems face the archival profession – too many cuts, not enough money, a too-tight job market, no hope, general despair, and the concerning problem of what will happen to these priceless documents if all the archives are gone.

Trains, Planes, and - no, just Trains

Just a reminder - if you're going to the 2010 Railroad Lecture Series beginning Wednesday, January 20th, registration starts at 4:45 pm at the Archives. See you there!

Where's MY Quill Pen?

I ran across this today among our online petitions. Now, this is only a couple of pages from a Nov. 1860 petition from the parish of 'St. John's Berkeley' about reestablishing an old road, but the cool thing is the scribe is, it appears, a leftie, which you don't see much of back in the day. Can you tell who's right- or left-handed?

I Love Me A Good Railroad

Trains are fun. They're cool. They're old, they're new, they're antiques and modern at the same time. You've got light-rails, you've got coal-burning monstrosities in museums. My father likes trains because as a child, he would sit on a fence by the tracks and watch them go by. I like them because they're an economical way of transporting goods. And yes, riding in an open car on a coal-powered train is truly a filthy experience: soot everywhere. Once you have that experience, you understand why people wore travelling clothes.

The SC Archive and History Foundation is holding a lecture series here at the archives on trains, and it promises to be fascinating. Plus, I've heard you get a reproduction 1827 map (ok, it's actually here on a table behind me). Looks pretty spiffy, train routes and all. Yes, spiffy.

You can see the schedule and topics - orphan trains, anyone? - and register for the Railroad Lecture Series at the Foundation site!