Thursday, April 19, 2012

Fort Sumter, Charleston, SC


Exactly 151 years later on April 12 DH and I arrived at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.  It is an historical site that should be visited by all visitors to the city.  The museum there is small but excellent.  We were reminded again about the ways in which the Civil War changed the face of our nation in many, many significant ways: socially, economically and racially. The Fort is a treasure.

The cannon at the top is the one that made the first shot from the fort after it was fired upon by South Carolina Confederate troops from nearby Fort Johnson--the start of a two-day bombardment that resulted in the surrender of Fort Sumter by Union troops. But that was not the end...just the beginning of a long siege and a war that cost our nation more than bargained for at the beginning of the Civil War.

18 comments:

  1. Very nice photo of the cannon, Kate! Charleston is one of my most favorite U.S. cities - I grew up not too far away from there, near Savannah, so I have always appreciated the rich history of Charleston.

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  2. Nice photo of the cannon, Kate! Charleston is one of my most favorite U.S. cities - I grew up not too far from there, in Savannah, so I have always appreciated the rich history of Charleston.

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  3. The place looks very interesting! A living lesson

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  4. Charleston looks like a very interesting place to visit Kate. I love history and would just love to go there if the opportunity ever arises. Great images and fancy being there exactly 151 years later!

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  5. I have never been to Charleston, but I am all in favor of preservation of Civil War historical sites. In the 1980's I worked on Civil War battlefield preservation and the creation of a new National Park while working as the Legislative Director for the Member of Congress whose district included Antietam and who served on the National Parks Subcommittee.

    Thank you for your comment about Julie's mother, but it was actually Julie's grandmother who we took the the emergency room both Sunday and Monday. She is doing better. I mention her in my post today.

    By the way, knowing your fondness to Santa Fe, I should mention to you that Julie's post today of the patio of her mother's house (and her dog) shows a paint job that was inspired by Santa Fe. A friend showed us some books of homes in Santa Fe when we were renovating Julie's mother's house to suggest the unusual paint treatment to add depth and interest to the patio.

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  6. Ah... the BIG bang theory.

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  7. Birdman is sooooo funny! It ain't a theory, though. What a terrible conflict. I read an article in Harper's Magazine, describing how US taxpayers are funding a Jefferson Davis presidential library in Mississippi, which is basically all about historical revisionism.

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  8. Excellent first image Kate, I've read many books set in the Civil War times. All wars should be remembered for their tragedies, somehow it doesn't seem to stop them happening even today.

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  9. There is a lot of history to explore here.

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  10. I wonder if the April 12 arrival was planned or a coincidence. It must be an interesting site to visit, so rich in history.

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  11. I suppose we need guns, and if you need a gun its best if its a big one!

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  12. I wonder if the term is right: how "exciting" to be in such a significant historic place on such an anniversary! "Exciting" seems odd as I'd personally rather we didn't have wars to commemorate. But since history is filled with them I suppose it's exciting to place oneself on such a spot and sense the moment.

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  13. Thanks for sharing this history. I have never visited the southern states, but this is one city I would like to see. The historical events that occurred there need to be shared.

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  14. That's a BIG cannon!

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  15. Whenever I visit a fort such as this I think about how uncomfortable they are! Not just during battle.

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  16. Beautiful Charleston! I was there last july!

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  17. and one of the last battles of that long war is being re-enacted in Selma, Ala., this weekend. Great tour, Kate!

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