more at http://quickfound.net 'Old Charleston, South Carolina. Historic buildings and street scenes... A Cinelog Picture.' Public domain film from the Prelinger Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and mild video noise reduction applied. The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina Charleston is the oldest and second-largest city in the southeastern State of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County,[2] and the principal city in the Charleston--North Charleston--Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline and is located on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean formed by the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Founded in 1670 as Charles Towne in honor of King Charles II of England, Charleston adopted its present name in 1783. It moved to its present location on Oyster Point in 1680 from a location on the west bank of the Ashley River known as Albemarle Point. By 1690, Charles Towne was the fifth largest city in North America,[4] and it remained among the ten largest cities in the United States through the 1840 census.[5] With a 2010 census population of 120,080 (and a 2012 estimate of 125,583), current trends put Charleston as the fastest-growing municipality in South Carolina. The Charleston Metropolitan area, comprising Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, population was counted by the 2012 estimate at 697,439 -- the second largest in the state -- and the 78th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States. Known for its rich history, well-preserved architecture, distinguished restaurants, and mannerly people, Charleston has received a large number of accolades, including "America's Most Friendly [City]" by Travel + Leisure in 2011 and in 2013 by Condé Nast Traveler, and also "the most polite and hospitable city in America" by Southern Living magazine... After Charles II of England (1630--1685) was restored to the English throne following Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, he granted the chartered Province of Carolina to eight of his loyal friends, known as the Lords Proprietors, on March 24, 1663. It took seven years before the group arranged for settlement expeditions. The first of these founded Charles Towne, in 1670. The community was established under the leadership of governor William Sayle on the west bank of the Ashley River, a few miles northwest of the present day city center... By the mid-18th century Charles Towne had become a bustling trade center, the hub of the Atlantic trade for the southern colonies. Charles Towne was also the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. By 1770, it was the fourth largest port in the colonies, after Boston, New York, and Philadelphia; with a population of 11,000—slightly more than half of them slaves... As the relationship between the colonists and Britain deteriorated, Charles Towne became a focal point in the ensuing American Revolution. It was twice the target of British attacks... Although the city lost the status of state capital to Columbia, Charleston became even more prosperous in the plantation-dominated economy of the post-Revolutionary years. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 revolutionized the production of this crop, and it quickly became South Carolina's major export commodity... On December 20, 1860, following the election of Abraham Lincoln, the South Carolina General Assembly voted to secede from the Union... In 1865, Union troops moved into the city and took control of many sites... On August 31, 1886, Charleston was nearly destroyed by an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale... Charleston languished economically for several decades in the 20th century, though the large military presence in the region helped to shore up the city's economy.... Charleston is famous for its unique culture, which blends traditional Southern U.S., English, French, and West African elements. The downtown peninsula is well known for its art, music, local cuisine, and fashion.... Charleston is known for its local seafood, which plays a key role in the city's renowned cuisine, comprising staple dishes such as gumbo, she-crab soup, fried oysters, lowcountry boil, deviled crab cakes, red rice, and shrimp and grits. The culture in Charleston differs greatly even from the rest of South Carolina, with British and French elements heavily prevalent...

• published: 25 Oct 2013
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