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