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Destinations » North America » United States » South Carolina » Hilton Head Island » City Guide: Historical Background

Hilton Head Island, SC » Historical Background

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The history of Hilton Head reads like a thumbnail of the history of the United States. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, it was "discovered" by Europeans who quickly began exploiting its natural resources. Slaves were brought in to work the land, which was fertile and promising. After the Civil War, racial inequality remained troubling for generations, until modernization gave way to new ways of thinking and new hope for the future.

Early History: Explorations & Plantations

Though the Spanish had made previous inroads toward negotiating with native tribes and moving into the area, it was not until Captain William Hilton of Great Britain ventured into the region in 1663 that true settlement would begin. And begin it did, with a vengeance. Over the next century, the whole region became a hotbed of shipbuilding and agriculture. The island's dense live oak forests were turned into ships, while slaves worked the nearly two-dozen plantations.

Revolution & War: Strategic Stronghold

With production skyrocketing, it was only natural that Hilton Head's strategic importance gained notice. During the American Revolution, the island was but the first stop on England's furious house-burning rampage toward the more metropolitan Charleston. A similar course of events transpired during the War of 1812. Come the Civil War era, Hilton Head's value was not lost on the Union either. A 13,000-troop force was deployed onto the island to subdue the Confederate defenses and free the slaves.

Reconstruction & the Rise of the Gullah

Like elsewhere throughout the Americas, it became apparent that the freeing of a formerly enslaved workforce came with a number of headaches. Racial and economic inequality plagued the island and its inhabitants for most of the next century. That said, a silver lining did emerge. Due to the region's (and, in particular, the island's) relative geographic and climatic isolation, the former slaves maintained a much stronger connection to their African roots than any other black population in the country. This truth persists to the present day, both linguistically and culturally.

The Modern Era: Building Bridges

Hilton Head, as it exists today, continues to exemplify the American experience. In the 1940s, some cunning entrepreneur recognized that Hilton Head was being wasted as an agricultural community. 1956 saw the construction of the first bridge to the island, extending Highway 278 from the mainland onto Hilton Head and ushering in the age of the resort. Over the course of the next few decades, the island's plantations were transformed into ultra-luxurious playgrounds for the well heeled. Golf courses replaced the rice fields and shopping districts took over the shipping centers. Just as Native Americans inhabited Hilton Head seasonally 10 millennia ago, modern Americans (some as noteworthy as Michael Jordan and John Mellencamp) summer here to this day, basking in the comfort and amenities. Hilton Head is truly the poshest of the posh.

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