“Charleston” is a highly readable primer on the South Carolina City's incredible history from its founding through the 2015 Emanuel AME Church massacre and the massacre's aftermath. It was designed specifically to give readers unfamiliar with Charleston's incredible history, especially visitors, a way to learn that history in one or two easy and interesting sessions.

By any measure, Charleston is a remarkable city. From her earliest beginnings she has experienced the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. She has known extreme shame and extreme glory. She arguably has been America's most hated city and its most beloved.

The City of Charleston has been attacked by Native Americans, pirates, and the militaries of four nations, including the United States of America which put the city under the longest siege in modern warfare history. An earthquake nearly destroyed her. Monster fires have blackened huge swaths of her. The Civil War, which she started, left her citizens destitute and starving as thousands of people joyously danced on her grave.

But Charleston also once was England's most important property in the New World, and later home of the first major military victory over England during the American Revolutionary War. She had become so wealthy by the early 19th Century she was able to lend the United States of America money to help it fight the War of 1812.

Charleston has been home to an astounding number of firsts, including first public library, first opera performed, first fire insurance company, first building constructed solely as a theater, first systematic and scientific recording of weather information, first public museum, first cotton mill, first fireproof building, first Reform Jewish congregation, first regularly scheduled passenger rail service, first municipal college, first commercial tea farm, and much more.

Charleston's greatest shame may be her history of greeting slaves from Africa to the American shores, and using so many of those slaves on her mammoth plantations. And her greatest glory may be how the direct descendants of those slaves forgave a white man who tried to start a race riot in Charleston by murdering nine of their relatives while they participated in a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in 2015. Their action set off a love fest in Charleston that was reflected throughout the world.

Today, the readers of various travel magazines constantly award Charleston with titles ranging from “Best City in the World” to America's friendliest city, most mannerly city, most gracious city, and much more.

Perhaps the best way to show her history quickly is by listing the book's table of contents, which tell the chronological story:

Charles Town is Born

Relations with England Sour

An Impossible Mission

British Armada Attacks

A Hero Story

War Rages in South Carolina

No Compromise on Slavery

Charleston Prospers, Then Declines

Nullifiers Gain Momentum

Secession Talk Increases

South Carolina Secedes

The Civil War Begins

Army Attacks Charleston

Navy Attacks Charleston

Army and Navy Attack Charleston

All-Black Regiment Attacks

Lincoln Orders Charleston Bombarded

War's Tide Turns Against the South

Sherman Attacks Atlanta

Sherman Attacks South Carolina

Charleston Falls

The Civil War Ends

Rejoicing, Anarchy and Starvation

Reconstruction, Southern Style

Radicals Take Over Reconstruction

Corruption Flourishes

Reconstruction Crumbles

“Pitchfork Ben” Tillman

Charleston Today

Skip Johnson

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