🇺🇸 Charleston, SC: From Plantations to Gardens

Charleston is the most populous city in South Carolina, founded by British colonists in 1670. From the late 17th to the early 19th century, it was one of America’s top five cities and a major port in the slave trade — about 40% of enslaved Africans brought to North America were sold here. 🏛️ The city's early planning was dominated by a small wealthy class, resulting in limited public spaces, while private estates featured numerous elaborate gardens. 🌿 Cypress Gardens Ticket: Adult $10 Highlights: Free boat tour : Paddle along marked trails through swamp waterways (approx. 45 mins), surrounded by tall bald cypress trees and wetland plants. Spot birds and aquatic wildlife along the way! 🛶🐢 Scenic trails : 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of walking paths through swamps and gardens. 🌳 History: From the 18th to 19th centuries, this was a rice plantation run by the Nesbitt and Carson families. In the early 20th century, Benjamin Kittredge purchased the land and developed it into the Cypress Gardens we see today. It is now managed by Berkeley County. 🏛️ Middleton Place Ticket: Adult $32 | Student $15 Highlights: Free guided tours: Volunteer retirees share stories about garden design, enslaved labor, and livestock history (each 30-40 mins). 👵🏼👴🏼📖 Oaks & camellias: Ancient oak trees draped with Spanish moss create a unique atmosphere. Camellias bloom from mid-March to mid-April — sadly we missed them! 🌸 Plantation restaurant: Serves local Southern specialties. 🍽️ History: Established in the early 18th century as a rice plantation, it was later gifted as a dowry to Henry Middleton (2nd President of the First Continental Congress). He designed America’s earliest landscaped gardens here, inspired by formal French gardens like Versailles (think symmetry and geometric layouts). His son Arthur Middleton (SC delegate to the Second Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence) helped make it a National Historic Landmark. 📜 After the Civil War and emancipation, the estate declined. In the 20th century, descendants J.J. Pringle Smith and his wife restored the gardens and established a foundation for its preservation. #Travel #AmericanSouth #USHistory #Photography