When William Hilton landed in the Lowcountry in 1663, he was greeted by Spanish-speaking Indians from the Yemassee tribe, who had migrated north from Florida 100 years prior. One of the oldest structures on the island, the Queen Chapel, A.M.E. Church is located on Beach City Road. It was the first self-governing town of formerly enslaved African Americans. Elliott, with the help of his neighbor, Will Seabrook, pioneered a new type of fertilizer for the cotton, resulting in record crops and wide acclaim for the Sea Island cotton. You could suck that for two days! It details the steps taken by Hilton to aid in the prevention of modern slavery and human trafficking in any part of its business and supply chains during the Financial Year 2016. In 1860, fourteen prominent families and their slaves lived on Hilton Head and most spent their time off the island. Hilton Head Island Recognized As One of the “Best Bicycling Communities” in the United States! THE BIRTH OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND. Consequently, Hilton Head Island lapsed into obscurity, remaining isolated for over 80 years. On November 7, 1861, the Island became the scene of the largest amphibious landing by U.S forces until D-Day, as more than 12,000 Union soldiers landed on the Island. Most noteworthy, the Gullah Celebration is scheduled throughout Hilton Head and Bluffton each February for Black History Month. If you’re spending some time on Hilton Head, there’s much more to do than play golf and go to the beach. In Hilton Head, S.C., efforts to change the names of gated communities and resorts are unequivocally about Black people. Whatever was left was given to Simmons, who would sail off to Savannah, Georgia once a week to sell the goods. We passed a small cemetery, which Irv points out is atypical, as it’s situated inland. But travel is so much more than just ticking sites off your itinerary. One plantation was named Spanish Wells for the freshwater wells dug by the first European invaders. While the entire area was named Bayley’s Barony, Hilton Head Island was referred to as Trench’s Island, in honor of Alexander Trench, the Bayley’s property agent and collector of land-lease fees. “We’d drive right on the beach. Union troops quickly took over Hilton Head Island from the Confederacy during the Battle of Port Royal. Other structures were salvaged for building materials. It didn’t take Union troops long to gain control of the island, according to Irv. Click here for more information. That's not the case any longer, he added. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. –Wally, Tagged: south carolina, gullah, usa, africa, hilton head. Back in the day, the pavilions would have changing rooms, showers and a dance floor, all under one roof. However, Hilton Head Island did not gain worldwide recognition until 1790 when another planter, William Elliott, successfully raised the first crop of long-staple Sea Island cotton. After the Civil War ended, Union soldiers auctioned off the island, according to Irv. Sure, we cover the basics — where to go, what to see. I had a hard time imagining even one person having room to lie down to sleep in a space of that size — especially if there was a stove or table or any other piece of furniture, never mind if an extended family lived together. You’ll see stacks of bricks propping up the buildings. After the war, the Island made a healthy recovery. Next day, what would it be covered with? In 1663, English sea captain William Hilton landed on Hilton Head Island and, thus, the seeds of the first successful plantations were sown. 1969. But once the bridge that connected the island to mainland was built in 1956, there was an influx of people to the island. Plan and Navigate your getaway on Hilton Head Island with our Island Compass app. many of them with no other clothing than gunny-sacks. November 11: “Slavery – the Cornerstone of the Plantation Society and the Confederacy,” at the Coastal Discovery Museum, at 3 p.m. John Monkaitis will present a lecture on the role that slavery played as the cornerstone of the Planter Society in the Lowcountry. It's the law on Hilton Head that nothing can be built to the curb. The Federal government seized the property. Tip: We found a $2 off coupon in one of the free publications, Island Events. French, Austa M., Slavery in South Carolina and the Ex-slaves; or, The Port Royal Mission. They settled on the 100 Sea Islands in the Hilton Head area. Mitchelville lasted from 1862 to 1877, when it finally dissolved. Then Irv regaled us with a tale from his childhood. When the Union Army occupied South Carolina’s Sea Islands, including Hilton Head, on November 7, 1861, it freed about 10,000 slaves. Event Details. ——— ©2020 The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.) Visit The Island Packet (Hilton Head, S.C.) at www.islandpacket.com. We’d take that candy to the water pump, wash off those ants and start sucking on it again!”. Finally, the main house ruins are the only tabby mansion built on Hilton Head Island. John Barnwell became Hilton Head Island’s first English settler in 1717 after receiving a grant of 1,000 acres in what is now Hilton Head Plantation. In 1862, Mitchelville was established near current Beach City Road and was the nation's first Freedmen's village, self-governing … It is the oldest structure still standing on the island, and more Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in this coastal cemetery than anywhere else on the coast other than Charleston. Shortly after the war, the main house was destroyed by fire. “In fact, the reports of the success of Mitchelville were so glowing, that the famous Underground Railroad freedom fighter, Harriet Tubman, was sent to Hilton Head to see this bustling town, so she could share the story of Mitchelville’s self-governed success with future freedmen towns.”. After the Civil War, more than 1,200 freed slaves remained. Incorporated as a town in 1983, Hilton Head Island is now home to several environmentally planned resort and residential communities, supporting more than 40,000 full-time residents. Hilton Head Island is America’s favorite island®, offering 12 miles of pristine beaches and everything you need for the ultimate retreat. “My name’s Irvin Campbell — but you can call me Irv,” he said. “You could get anything at these stores, from penny candy to a piece of equipment for your horse harness,” he told us. During the war, the British burned plantations on the Island and captured slaves to sell in the West Indies. It decided upon the novel idea of an “experiment”: Try paying wages to these contrabands (the awful word used to describe slaves freed by Union forces as well as for those who had escaped). It was the first freedman’s community after the American Civil War. Hilton Head Island Publishing Company, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. “They didn’t have any opposition,” he said. It was a 45-hour journey — and sometimes the winds weren’t favorable, so they couldn’t make it Savannah, and the perishable goods would be lost. Origin of name – Named for Captain David Cutler Braddock, commander of the colonial half-galley Beaufort in 1742.. Other names – Braddock Cove, Calibogue Point, Stoney-Baynard Hall One Union soldier stationed on Hilton Head at the time recounted: negro slaves came flocking into our camp by the hundreds, escaping from their masters when they knew of the landing of "Linkum sojers," as they called us . Slaves - 100 slaves per Federal census of 1800. But long before Hilton Head’s resorts arrived, the island had been home to cotton, indigo and rice plantations that relied on slave labor. After the war, as the freed slaves on the island attempted to grow Sea Island cotton, the boll weevil proved to be even more devastating. The government gave former slaves the material to build small houses and a plot of land to farm on in Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island. Not so long ago, Gullahs owned much of the land on the 26,880-acre isle. “On Hilton Head, we believe in setbacks and buffers. We stopped at Driessen Beach Park and headed down the boardwalk to take photos by the water. “But Mr. William Aiken took his recipes with him when he died,” Irv said. We take deep dives into our subjects, infusing our articles with an always informative, sometimes irreverent, sometimes funny approach. Hilton Head’s social and cultural history dates back to the early 1700s, and from the beginning, the Gullah people were central to the story. The neighborhood once known as Gardner was home to the Aiken family, the “medicine makers,” according to Irv. Armed with vision, energy, modern air conditioning and investment dollars, he created a master plan for a resort community. Request a free copy of the Hilton Head Island Vacation Planner and learn about all the attractions, activities, unique history and places to stay on Hilton Head Island. Popularly called sea pines, the trees produced lumber for a variety of uses. Northern businessmen, called carpetbaggers for the soft-sided bags they traveled with, bought the entire island and sold it off. Gullah of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. “It’s so spirits can take the waters back to West Africa.”. And indeed, there are: Buildings of this era were made of tabby, which consists of lime, sand and oyster shells. We liked him right from the get-go. Consequently, Hilton Head Island lapsed into obscurity, remaining isolated for over 80 years. Negro Universities Press, New York (reprint of 1862 edition). After the war, as the freed slaves on the island attempted to grow Sea Island cotton, the boll weevil proved to be even more devastating. The structure looks like an art project, as if there are shells stuck all over it. “The Gullah people are the descendants of the slaves who worked on the rice plantations in South Carolina and Georgia,” said historian Joseph Opala. Former slaves from Hilton Head and the surrounding plantations made their way to the encampment where many found employment. Maps - Hack, "Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, before 1861" Bibliography - Peeples, An Index to Hilton Head Island Names before 1861 Additional Information: 38BU871. When Union forces took Hilton Head on November 7, 1861, in the Battle of Port Royal, more than 1,000 Hilton Head Islanders became some of the first freed slaves of the Civil War. “That’s when families started locking their doors” (which comes out sounding like doe), Irv told us. The Confederate Army and the white plantation owners hightailed it out of there, and the Union Army found itself in possession of a region famous for growing cotton. The Hilton Head story is about war and peace and slavery and freedom. Consider hopping on the bus for an insightful tour of the island’s fascinating Gullah heritage. . Storytelling, crafts and music accompany an impressive art exhibit and culinary events. The Gullah/Geechee people are descendants of enslaved Africans from various ethnic groups of west and central Africa. Gullah tends to be used more often to describe those living in South Carolina, and Geechee for those in Georgia. There were four Gullah general stores that sold gas, along with a vast assortment of other goods. Irv’s involved in a project to restore Mitchelville. “When Union troops invaded Hilton Head Island on November 7, 1861, Baynard and other plantation owners fled inland. Its original inhabitants were known for fishing and shrimping. I remember that one well. In less than five hours, the Union fleet captured both Fort Beauregard on St. Philips Island and Fort Walker on Hilton Head Island. In 1956, Charles Fraser, son of one of the families that owned most of the Island, realized that Hilton Head Island had more to offer than just timber. To fully appreciate the places you explore, you should have a better understanding of its history, food, religion, folklore, arts and crafts — and of course the weird and wonderful customs and subcultures found around the world. They survived modestly on small farms and as hunters and fisherman. Basic Information. Eleven months after South Carolina seceded from the Union, the shots fired on Fort Sumter reverberated on Hilton Head Island. He confiscated some land on Confederate General Thomas Fenwick Drayton’s Fish Haul Plantation, laid put streets and lots, and provided lumber for the former slaves to build their homes in a town that would be called Mitchelville. Drayton's negro quarters, Hilton Head, S.C. Summary Photograph shows soldiers and slaves in front of the slave quarters on Drayton's plantation. This was a fantastic experience and provided excellent background history of Hilton Head. I was 18 years old.”. A Mitchelville family poses with a Union soldier. Hilton Head Island in the Civil War by Robert Carse | $20. Gradually a plan was formulated for the education, welfare, and employment of the blacks, combining both government and missionary efforts. The Island fell into the hands of Federal troops, forcing Island families to evacuate their plantation homes. Standing architectural ruins associated with the plantation include portions of the main house, a chimney footing for what may be an overseer’s house, and a slave house associated with slaves working in … Rice cultivation needed freshwater ponds, but these bred hordes of mosquitoes, which in turn carried malaria and yellow fever. In the late 1940’s, the Island experienced a sort of re-birth when a group of timbermen recognized great potential in the Island’s tall, straight pines. The word is synonymous with Gullah. Squire Pope is the largest Gullah neighborhood on the island. Their Gullah culture and language survive today as a living legacy of their strength and perseverance. During the American Civil War, Union troops wanted to stop trade in the Confederacy, which led to an attack at Port Royal Sound, off of Hilton Head Island. “People come to the island and complain they can’t find anything!” Irv said. The Gullah Heritage Corridor stretches from St. Augustine, Florida up to Wilmington, North Carolina, and Hilton Head Island played a key role in the community. Missionaries, teachers, doctors and ministers came from New York and Pennsylvania to educate and help shape the African-American community. Today, you can view these artifacts of Hilton Head Island history at Sea Pines Forest Preserve and on the north end of the Island, off Squire Pope Road in Green Shell Park. Keep in mind that this was all near the beginning of the Civil War. And there are strict tree laws. Today, historic Mitchelville is preserved as a tourist attraction, while the Gullah Geechee are squeezed onto ever-smaller tracts of land. When the Union Army occupied South Carolina’s Sea Islands, including Hilton Head, on November 7, 1861, it freed about 10,000 slaves. The Civil War changed the lives of both planters and slaves on Hilton Head Island. There weren’t proper doctors on Hilton Head, and this father and son handled medical cases — at least the ones the midwives didn’t attend to. Yet much of the Island remains as it was when sighted from William Hilton’s ship more than 350 years ago. Later, in 1989, the Cross Island Parkway was constructed, making Hilton Head even more accessible to the vacationers (many from Ohio, as it’s about the max you’d be able to drive in a day) that now flock here every summer. Once the island fell to Union troops, hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head, which is still home to many of whom are descendants of freed slaves known as the Gullah (or Geechee) who have managed to hold on to much of their ethnic and cultural identity. An Authentic Culture of the Sea Islands Gullah is the West African based system of traditions, customs, beliefs, art forms and family life that have survived centuries of slavery and more than a … Hilton Head Tours for Annual Events Important annual events welcome the public to enjoy a showcase of the culture. Within two days of the Union victory on Hilton Head, Sea Island blacks began descending on the outpost. . And it is a story about the survival of a people against seemingly insurmountable odds. At the time the picture was made, Hilton Head's population had grown to over forty thousand individuals and included Union troops, civilian storekeepers, missionaries, prisoners of war, and slaves seeking refuge from their owners. The Civil War and the subsequent abolition of slavery altered the prosperous and patrician lifestyle of the plantation owners forever. The blacks on Hilton Head Island were the very first former slaves to earn wages and actually get paid for their labor. 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