Charles Town: South Carolina's First Permanent European Settlement (1670)

The first permanent European settlement in what became South Carolina was Charles Town, founded in 1670 by English colonists under William Sayle on the west bank of the Ashley River—about 20 miles from the Atlantic. It became the colony's capital, its principal port, and the nucleus of the plantation society that defined the region for two centuries.

Founding Context

• Charter: 1663 Carolina Charter (Charles II) to eight Lords Proprietors
• Expedition: Three ships (Carolina, Port Royal, Three Brothers); ~150 settlers (English, Barbadian, indentured)
• Site selection: Albemarle Point — defensible, deep water, freshwater, fertile land
• Name: Honoring King Charles II

Early Development

• 1670-1680: Palisaded fort, grid streets, household gardens, trade with Cusabo, Etiwan, Kiawah peoples
• 1680: Relocated to Oyster Point peninsula (current Charleston peninsula) — better harbor, breeze, defense
• 1690s: Rice cultivation established — "Carolina Gold" rice + enslaved African expertise = immense wealth
• 1719: Transition to royal colony after Proprietors' mismanagement

Charles Town → Charleston

Incorporated as "Charleston" in 1783 (post-Revolution). The name shift reflected republican sentiment — dropping the monarch's name. The original Albemarle Point site is now Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site (opened 1970), with reconstructions, museum, and archaeological exhibits.

Legacy

• Oldest city in South Carolina
• Only English walled city in North America (briefly)
• Major slave trade port (40% of US enslaved Africans entered here)
• Preserved historic district — 3,800+ buildings pre-1900
• Gullah Geechee culture — African retentions in language, craft, food

Charles Town's founding launched the lowcountry plantation system, the rice economy, and the African-American majority that shaped South Carolina's distinctive history. The original site, now an archaeological park, lets visitors stand where the colony began.