Carolina’s new colony’s first view came to being in March 1670, and the region’s first settlers arrived in April that same year, christening the area Albemarle Point. These proprietors, as a way of flattering King Charles II, their ruler, insisted on the area getting renamed Charles Town in his honor. The colony’s enemies included the Spanish, French, hostile Indian Tribes as well as pirates. Given poor sanitation, disease was also highly rampant.

In February 1671, more settlers trickled in. By the year 1672, the settlement, which was now slightly expansive, saw the point in relocating to the peninsula land across the land. This area was known as ‘Oyster Point’ given the heaps of discarded open oyster shells that had been left behind by Kiawah Indians. The area’s proximal location between Ashley and the Cooper rivers attracted even more settlers.

By the 1670s, Charles Town was the first city in America to make use of proper city planning, with the streets being laid out in straight and broad lines. A decade later, the area population had grown to 1,000 residents. In a bid to protect Carolina from invasion and impending attack, a wall was erected out of locally available materials including palmetto logs, tabby and bricks. Come 1718, with the coast having cleared out nearly all enemies, the wall was demolished, seeing as there was no further need for it.

Charles Town grew to become a major seaport given its array of wharves that lay along the Eastern Bay Street. Commerce had a new birth place here, as ships transporting deer skin, raw materials, cotton, indigo and rice docked here. The ships would then return fully loaded with European luxuries and main staples, leading to further cosmopolitan growth in the region. Even during infancy, Charles Town was highly reputed as ‘Little London’, and by the time it was getting to the early 1740s, the town had grown to become North America’s most critical port.

Charles Town’s golden age was brought to an abrupt end by The Revolutionary War. England occupied the area, with the British taking full control. In 1783, Charles Town underwent a sort of re-birth, acquiring the name Charleston. In the years that followed the Civil War of America, residents in Charleston were so poor that they could not remodel their city. As such, the town adapted to her ancient buildings. However, the 1900s saw Charleston build itself up, restoring its initial status as a major cultural center.

Today, the Charleston region is a highly versatile living museum that is populated with proficiently preserved eighteenth-century mansions. In addition to this, it is a vibrant and bustling cultural epicenter, featuring invigorating outdoor fun and fine dining that welcomes over 4 million guest every year. Charleston is America’s leading city when it comes to historical and architectural preservation.