Charleston County (S.C.)

The Carolina settlement of Charles Town, named in honor of King Charles II of England, was established after English settlers arrived in 1670; it was renamed Charleston in 1783. From 1720 until 1773 South Carolina was under English jurisdiction as a Crown Colony. Serving as the state capital until 1790, the records of the court, including deeds, wills and property lists were deposited there. African slaves built indigo, rice and cotton plantations at the direction of the English and French Huguenot settlers. During this colonial period, various settlements were established, the area sustained damage from two significant hurricanes, and loss of some 60 lives during a slave revolt in 1739.