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In 1520, barely 30 years after Columbus arrived in the New World, Spanish explorers sailed into Port Royal Sound. Their arrival began a 200-year competition among the Spanish, the French and the English for colonization of the area. At the same time, colonists were ousting Native American tribes who had lived in the region for over 10,000 years.
Eventually, the English won the struggle and South Carolina. Naval stores and provision crops provided the first economy, but by the 1790s, Beaufort was prospering with the introduction of a new crop, Sea Island cotton. From then until the outbreak of the Civil War, the cotton industry produced so many men of wealth and influence that one historian described Beaufort as "the wealthiest, most aristocratic and cultivated town of its size in America". Many of the fine homes that distinguish Beaufort today were built as summer residences during this period of prosperity.
Despite its rural location, Beaufort was no outpost. The planter elite, living from the fruits of slave labor, indulged in the pursuits of the English country gentry. The families of merchants and planters followed the social seasons of the East Coast, including summers in Newport and visits to Europe. Young men were sent to New England universities, chiefly Harvard, to receive educations.
With an educated aristocracy, politics was a favored pastime and the secession movement flourished. The movement crystallized in December of 1860 when the townspeople found themselves on the brink of one of history's greatest reversals: the emancipation of slaves, the demise of the planter class and the rise of the Federal government in local affairs.
Because of its location, Beaufort became strategically important for Federal military operations during the Civil War. On Nov. 7, 1861, the invasion of Union forces began. The majority of white inhabitants abandoned their town houses and neighboring plantations, leaving behind most of their slaves and literally half-eaten meals on the table. One war correspondent referred to it as "the Grand Skedaddle".
Beaufort's history changed in a matter of hours. The following four years saw Federal occupation, the confiscation and subsequent redistribution of property through tax sales and a resurveying of the town that renamed the streets. Most citizens did not regain their homes, household goods or plantations, and many never returned.
The upheaval for the white population also meant new lives for the 10,000 slaves on the islands who were responsible for the lowcountry's wealth. Beaufort's African-American population grew as refugees made their way to Beaufort for shelter and work. Schools were established for them and the redistribution of land allowed many to purchase land for the first time. They played an integral role in the Federal government's efforts to assimilate freed blacks into broader society, which was a plan called the "Port Royal Experiment".
The introduction of phosphate mining and the revival of Sea Island cotton and rice cultivation prompted economic recovery in the 1870s. And this period saw the second invasion of northerners who came to enjoy the winter climate, a tradition that continues in the 21st century. The continued strategic importance of Beaufort led to the establishment of the U.S. Marine Corps Post on Parris Island in 1891.
Area prosperity took a downturn when the phosphate mining business came to an abrupt end and the city was hit by a devastating hurricane in 1893 and a destructive fire in 1907. Thousands were killed in the hurricane and the fire destroyed the heart of the city. The economy did not flourish again until the introduction of truck farming in the 1930s. By then the seafood industry was also providing livelihood for Beaufort's citizens.
The northern tourists who came to Beaufort in the last half of the 19th century set the pace for the long-term economy of Beaufort. Some of the large antebellum homes were turned into guesthouses. With the building of bridges to the neighboring islands, the Beaufort area became a destination.
First drawn by the climate, visitors realized quickly that the history and the as-yet-unspoiled beauty of Beaufort made it a magical place. In 1975, the National Park Service affirmed Beaufort's historical significance by designating 304 acres downtown as a National Historic Landmark District. Leading the way in South Carolina in historic preservation, Beaufort today continues to invest in its past for its future.
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