Piedmont Historical Preservation Society

06/22/2026

Emily Geiger is one of the most celebrated figures in South Carolina's Revolutionary War history. Almost no one outside the state knows her name.

In June 1781, she volunteered to carry General Nathanael Greene's orders through British-held territory when no man could safely make the ride. Tory scouts captured and detained her. While they waited for a woman to come and search her, she read the message, memorized it, and ate it. They found nothing. She delivered the orders to General Sumter from memory. Sumter's forces joined Greene and moved against Lord Rawdon.

The South Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution placed a memorial to her in 1901, 120 years after her ride.

The Ninety-Six National Historic Site, managed by the NPS, preserves the South Carolina ground where Greene was operating when he sent her.

Save this for your next conversation about who changed the course of the Revolution.

06/21/2026

The Charleston Tea Party Lead the way!

You’ve probably heard of the Boston Tea Party, but did you know that Charleston had its own Tea Party? This installment, the last, of our series about South Carolina’s grievances found in the Declaration of Independence against King George III, focuses on why these tea parties happened.

Grievance 16 reads:
“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.”

For years, colonists had been angered by acts of Parliament which didn’t just tax the colonists but also enforced trade restrictions. Since the Navigation Acts of the mid-1600s, the colonists could only trade with Great Britain. This limited the colonists’ purchasing power – they could only buy or sell items at the price decided by the crown.

As a result, laws like the Tea Act of 1773 pushed the colonists to believe that Britain was controlling who they could trade with and how they could do business.

When tea reached Charleston in December 1773, the colonists didn’t throw it overboard. Instead they seized the tea during the “Charleston Tea Party”. They would later use money earned from the stolen tea to fund early actions in South Carolina’s revolution.

As delegates, including those from South Carolina, helped create our new country, they would have to decide how to prevent seizures of power like many committed by the British. On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, we hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the reasons why South Carolina supported the Declaration of Independence and the break from Great Britain.



Image: This cartoon shows a colonist examining a notice for a “tax on tea”, as a British soldier marches by. Courtesy of the American Battlefield Trust.

06/21/2026

Ever wonder why South Carolina is called the Palmetto State — and why a palmetto tree sits right in the middle of our flag? The answer comes from one incredible day in 1776. 🌴
On June 28, 1776, a powerful British fleet sailed in to capture Charleston and attacked the unfinished fort guarding the harbor on Sullivan's Island. The fort was built from palmetto logs and sand — and that turned out to be the secret weapon. Instead of shattering under the British cannon fire like ordinary timber, the spongy palmetto wood absorbed the cannonballs, swallowing them whole. The fort held. 💪
Under Colonel William Moultrie, the outgunned defenders drove off the entire British fleet in one of the first major Patriot victories of the Revolution. The fort was later named Fort Moultrie in his honor, the palmetto became South Carolina's enduring symbol, and that humble tree earned a permanent place on our flag and our state's very identity.
Did you know the story behind the Palmetto State name? 👇 Tag a proud South Carolinian who'll love this one.

06/19/2026

Map was dated 1859

Map showing a few of the plantations in the upstate dated 1859.

06/19/2026

Map showing a few of the plantations in the upstate dated 1859.