History of Beaufort, South Carolina
The city was named in honour of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of
Beaufort
The history
of Beaufort,
South Carolina, is one of the most comprehensive and diverse
of any community of its size in the United States. The area had been subject to
numerous European explorations and several aborted attempts at colonization
before the British successfully founded
the city in 1711, the second-oldest in South Carolina (behind
Charleston. The city
initially grew slowly, subject to numerous attacks from Native Americans before
flourishing as a center for shipbuilding and later as the aristocratic center
for the Lowcountry plantation economy up
through the Civil War. Though decimated
by a declining economy and natural disasters, the community rebounded in the
later half of the 20th century and is today recognized as one of the most
livable small towns in the country. Beaufort has retained much of its historic
character through its renowned architecture and historic preservation
efforts.
Native American settlement, European Exploration. Prehistory – 1711:
Before the arrival of European explorers, the Lowcountry
region was inhabited by small Native
American tribes that have since yielded their names to geography,
including the Yemasee,
the Coosawhatchie, the Coosaw, the Datha (Dataw), the Edisto,
the Ashepoo, the Kiowa
(Kiawah), and Combahee. Several of these tribes were rivals and intertribal
alliances and attacks occurred frequently before and during European
colonization.
The Spanish
were the first Europeans to explore the Port Royal Sound and were the first to
attempt to establish a colony. Landing on St.
Helena's day (Santa
Elena), the colony of the same name did not survive long, as disease,
starvation, weather, and attacks from tribes dissuaded the settlers and their
efforts. Upon the explorations of Giovanni
di Verrazano, France became the next European power to establish a
presence. Nearby Parris
Island was the location of Charlesfort,
France's first colony in the New World, founded by Jean
Ribault in 1562. Alarmed by its rivals intentions, the Spanish
established St.
Augustine in modern-day Florida in 1565 as a counter to French
aspirations. As with Santa Elena, the French colony disappeared quickly due to
similar circumstances.
The Carolana (Carolina) colony was chartered by King
Charles II in 1670 to the eight Lords
Proprietor, who began the first major attempt to settle modern day
South Carolina. Observations of the Port Royal Sound and immediate area had many
on the initial expedition call for the first English settlement and capital of
the colony to be located in Beaufort. However, tribes in the area suggested an
area further up the coast, and the settlers later chose the area what became
Charleston to become their capital and principal city.
The Port Royal Sound however was too enticing not to be settled, and
continuous efforts were made. Upon the demise of the French efforts, the first
Scottish
settlement in what is now the United States, known as Stuart Town, was founded at modern-day
Spanish Point in 1682, only to be destroyed by Spanish forces from St. Augustine
in 1684. Continuous concerns about Spanish incursions into the new colony led to
calls to create a town and port that would serve as a buffer against Spain and
provide a closer harbor to area planters, who were becoming successful in their
efforts to produce cash crops, especially rice.
Colonial period 1711–1783: Beaufort was chartered in 1711 as the second major settlement in South
Carolina and named after Henry
Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort. The settlement grew very slowly, due
to a major attack by the Yemassee in 1717 and the threat of Spanish invasion. It
was not until 1733 and the founding of Georgia
as a buffer colony did Beaufort truly grow in population and prestige. Though
most administrative powers during the early Carolina colony was focused in
Charleston, the city gained a reputation for its excellent harbor and the
establishment of several church congregations, most notable being St. Helena's
Episcopal.
By 1776, the city became well known for its shipbuilding
enterprises, its rice and indigo
trade, and was home to a new circuit
court for the colony.
The American
Revolution split loyalties in the community, with several families
supporting the Tories
while others favored independence. Many men fought in battles elsewhere in the
state, though little warfare was conducted in and around Beaufort. The young
republic was unable to provide adequate naval defense of the City and fell
under British occupation in 1780 without much resistance or damage.
It was not until hostilities flared in Virginia did British occupation end in
1782, a year before the Treaty of
Paris was signed. The Treaty
of Beaufort fixing the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia
was signed in the city in 1787.
The John A. Cuthbert House is an example of antebellum architecture in
Beaufort.
Antebellum period 1783–1861: In the antebellum
period, the rise of Sea
Island Cotton brought enormous wealth to Beaufort and the surrounding
plantations. By some historians' accounts, Beaufort was arguably the wealthiest
city in the United States prior to the Civil War and was often considered to be
the "Newport"
of the South. Although Charleston and Columbia
were the leading cities in the state, much economic and political influence was
reared by Beaufort. Lowcountry planters in the city and the surrounding islands
were among the most ardent supporters of state secession,
first during the Nullification
Crisis in the 1830's and then in the 1850's. At the eve of secession,
Beaufort was arguably at its cultural, economic, and political zenith,
with a population of about 4,000, excluding slaves. Like modern-day Beaufort,
the city attracted many residents from beyond the state, with many Northerners
and Europeans residing in town and operating successful businesses.
Civil War and Reconstruction 1861–1893: The Civil
War had a dramatic effect on Beaufort, as an amphibious
attack and subsequent occupation of the city made it one of the first
communities in the Deep
South to be held in Union hands, as early as November 1861. Though
much of the town was spared from physical destruction, there were many incidents
of arson and looting as a result of Union occupation and the early liberation of
the substantial slave population. In a historic effort that pre-dawned American
Reconstruction,
the Port
Royal Experiment provided a test case for the education of freedmen.
In addition to educational advancements, the city made some political ones as
well. Robert
Smalls, a native son and leading figure in post-war Beaufort would
later become one of South Carolina's first elected African-Americans
to the United
States Congress and remained a prominent civic leader in the state
and in Beaufort until his death in 1915. Due in part to the large
African-American population and also Small's leading role, Beaufort remained one
of the last outposts of Republican
Party power in the Solid
South.
Some of Beaufort's most prominent families returned to the area but
never regained the enormous wealth that slave-based agriculture provided. Most
of the original antebellum power brokers never returned to the area. As the
influence of cotton declined, the lure of aqua phosphate
mining increased. By 1890, Beaufort had regained some of its wealth and
prosperity from that industry. It had also retained its position as county seat
during that time, having previously lost it to railroad community of
Coosawhatchie. However, a series of events would bring Beaufort into a steady
economic decline for over half-century.
