South Carolina's capital city enjoys a strong African-American presence, one that has had considerable influence on the growth and development of Columbia's commerce and culture since the city's creation in the late 1700s. The challenges of the antebellum South, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights era, and even the present have shaped a vibrant and dynamic black community, which supplies a wealth of leaders for the city, state, and nation.
An investigation into who burned South Carolina's capital in 1865 Who burned South Carolina's capital city on February 17, 1865? Even before the embers had finished smoldering, Confederates and Federals accused each other of starting the blaze, igniting a controversy that has raged for more than a century. Marion B. Lucas sifts through official reports, newspapers, and eyewitness accounts, and the evidence he amasses debunks many of the myths surrounding the tragedy. Rather than writing a melodrama with clear heroes and villains, Lucas tells a more complex and more human story that details the fear, confusion, and disorder that accompanied the end of a brutal war. Lucas traces the damage not to a single blaze but to a series of fires—preceded by an equally unfortunate series of military and civilian blunders—that included the burning of cotton bales by fleeing Confederate soldiers. This edition includes a new foreword by Anne Sarah Rubin, professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the author of Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman's March and America.
The story of South Carolina's heartland told from the prospective of a founding father, a plantation mistress, an African-American politician, an editor, a mayor, and other local residents.
South Carolina's capital city enjoys a strong African-American presence, one that has had considerable influence on the growth and development of Columbia's commerce and culture since the city's creation in the late 1700s. The challenges of the antebellum South, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights era, and even the present have shaped a vibrant and dynamic black community, which supplies a wealth of leaders for the city, state, and nation.
With Columbia, South Carolina: A Postcard History, Dave and Marty Sennema have assembled an unprecedented collection of picture postcards to create a retrospective of the area from the early 1900s through the 1950s. Here you will find dramatic images of businesses, street scenes, hotels, office buildings, and homes. Even more fascinating are the buildings which have, over the years, been recycled and used to house various businesses and educational institutions.
"Columbia, South Carolina, is very much a tale of two cities. Founded as a political compromise, forged by an economy shackled by slavery, and physically vanquished by fire, the Palmetto State's second capital became a proving ground for a new society less than a century after its establishment. During the course of the next 100 years, Columbians--new and old, black and white, rich and poor--would physically transform their city in ways that reflected their needs, aspirations, fears, and wherewithal. Remembering Columbia is a visual road map that merges images with accounts of people, sites, and events pulled from historical newspapers, diaries, and ephemera. Building upon the efforts of previous generations, this account explores South Carolina's capital city from its early years through the mid-20th century in ways previously underdeveloped or altogether unrepresented. The result is an intriguing detective story that will be enriching, surprising, and compelling to life-long residents, newcomers, and visitors alike."
A fascinating collection of picture postcards document the history of Columbia, South Carolina, from the early 1900s through the 1950s. With Columbia, South Carolina: A Postcard History, Dave and Marty Sennema have assembled an unprecedented collection of picture postcards to create a retrospective of the area from the early 1900s through the 1950s. Here you will find dramatic images of businesses, street scenes, hotels, office buildings, and homes. Even more fascinating are the buildings which have, over the years, been recycled and used to house various businesses and educational institutions.
"Columbia's history is brimming with characters whose exploits have shaped and enriched the city's evolution. This collection reveals the intriguing but lesser known people and events in Columbia's past. With a welcoming style, Richards shows why Columbia has earned its reputation as a history-rich Southern city."--Publisher's website.
Columbia sits on hills overlooking the Congaree, Saluda and Broad Rivers. The name evokes sanctuary and the American spirit. Its central location in the state makes it the meeting place of the Upstate and the Lowcountry. The all-American city sprang from wilderness, frame buildings and unpaved streets and valiantly responded to the challenges of change. The city was created by the legislature to be the capital and reflects the "ambitions and fortunes" of South Carolina. Columbia is a diverse city that serves as an educational incubator, a magnet for immigrants, a military center and a place to celebrate the arts. Follow author Alexia Jones Helsley as she weaves together the strands of Columbia's long and eventful past.
