Join National Park Service Rangers to learn more about area history this summer! All programs are free and open to the public at the Wando Mount Pleasant Library located at 1400 Carolina Park Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC.
Saturday, June 17 10:00 a.m. - The Battle of Sullivan’s Island: Charleston’s Fight for Independence
As America draws closer to its 250th anniversary, come learn about the definitive actions of Colonel William Moultrie and the patriotic defenders of Charleston Harbor. Discover the battle that saved Charleston from British occupation for four years and gave renewed life to the American Revolution.
Saturday, July 8 10:00 a.m. - The 54th Massachusetts: The Fight for Freedom
Come learn about the brave soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts from the creation of their regiment to their sacrifice on Morris Island.
Saturday, July 22 10:00 a.m. - Eliza Lucas Pinckney: The Indigo Girl
The unlikely story of the “Indigo Girl” has captured the hearts of the people of the Lowcountry. Learn about Eliza’s struggles as an independant woman in the 18th century, indigo’s importance in Charleston’s history, and the Gullah Geechee people which Eliza and others enslaved to make their fortunes.
Saturday, August 12 10:00 a.m. - Endicott Coastal Forts
The United States had fallen behind in maintaining its coastal defenses in the decades following the Civil War. The worldwide push to construct modern warships in the 1880’s led the United States to begin a program of new coastal defenses. Named for Secretary of War, William Endicott, the system of new defenses largely consisted of reenforced concrete gun batteries. Built at the turn of the century, many of these defensive works would remain in service through World War II.
Saturday, August 26 10:00 a.m. - The Echo Incident: Illegal Slave Trade and the Road to the Civil War
Even before the Civil War began, Fort Sumter witnessed the contradictions of how Americans viewed the system of slavery. Join us for a little known story about an illegal slave trading ship brought to Charleston harbor in 1858. We’ll learn about the role this ship played on the road to the Civil War.