African American History

African American history in the coastal Carolina area of Beaufort County, SC, can be traced back to slavery times when blacks were brought here to work rice and cotton fields. Generation after generation, African Americans have evolved and survived on the sea islands. From the earliest reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on St. Helena Island to the freedom experienced by former slaves at Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, African Americans have carved in place the historical landscape of the Lowcountry. Our history includes the Gullah culture, which emphasizes language, lifestyle and survival; farming and fishing to sustain the family; education, religion and even politics. Perhaps the most famous of all Lowcountry politicians is Robert Smalls, a U.S. Navy captain whose fame was "linked to his capture of the Confederate cotton steamer, the Planter." During the reconstruction era, Smalls gained wide respect as a South Carolina politician; he was elected to five terms in the United States Congress.

On Hilton Head Island, Mitchelville became regarded as the first freedman's village and was known as "an experiment in freedom" for slaves who found themselves free following Civil War activity." Named in honor of General O.M. Mitchel, the village operated with its own government, police, schools and businesses.

The foundations of the African American history across the county evolved through many historical events and through the acts of many individuals. Today, history is celebrated and preserved in written accounts, cultural events, storytelling and historical markers that placard the grounds, homes, churches and communities. Learn more about African American history in coastal Carolina by reviewing the historical timeline.