1783 – Slavery

Capt. Joseph Vesey placed an advertisement in the South Carolina Gazette as “J. Vesey & Co.” which offered more than “100 Prime slaves from Tortola for sale every fair day except Sunday.”

1828 – Slavery

David Walker, the free black from Charleston living in Boston, and former member of the AME Church with Denmark Vesey, published his Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World. It became one of the most important documents in the abolitionist movement.

 White reaction in the south was immediate, and harsh. Blacks in Charleston were arrested for distributing the pamphlet. The Georgia legislature announced reward of $10,000 to anyone who could hand over Walker alive, and $1,000 to anyone who would murder him.

1864

Gus Smythe, from his Confederate look-out post in the steeple of St. Michael’s wrote:

The Yankees are throwing in their shells at a tremendous rate, one every two or three minutes since 5o’c, now it is 10 p.m.  … Since 8 a.m. they have thrown 114 shells.