Looking back over the period, I did a lot of local history program promotion and photos from same through the BDC's Facebook page but there were a few more historically minded tidbits shared. The overview of October pretty much had things covered. - Grace Cordial September 17 - It's US Constitution Day - and since I mentioned it, there must be a direct Beaufort District connection, right? Indeed.
September 18 - Today's "Uniquely BDC Materials Monday" relates to yesterday's post. We are the only SCLENDS library to hold the South Carolina volume in the Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution series edited by John P. Kaminski et al. (Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2016). Although one can access the series and volume 27, Ratification of the Constitution by the States: South Carolina online, I decided to buy a print copy for permanent retention several years ago. The introductory essays discuss the organization of the volume, editorial procedures, the ratification chronology, notes on governmental jurisdictions, sources, symbols, what was happening in South Carolina between 1663 and 1790 and then it divides the content into six major chapters:
1. The Debate Over the Constitution in South Carolina, 29 September 1787 - 11 January 1788
2. The South Carolina General Assembly Calls a Convention, 8 January - 29 February 1788
3. The Debate over the Constitution in South Carolina, 19 January - 2 June 1788
4. Election of Convention Delegates, 17 March - 10 May 1788
5. The South Carolina Convention, 12 - 24 May 1788
6. The Aftermath of Ratification in South Carolina, 23 May - 27 November 1788
I particularly like that letters to the newspapers and between family members or associates about the proposed Constitution are included in the volume.
Among the Beaufort District names that I recognized are Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Pierce Butler, Henry W. DeSaussure, and John Kean. A few more are new to me: Richard Adams, Daniel John Greene, and Peter Youngblood. This volume is a nice compliment to Journal of the Convention of South Carolina which ratified the Constitution of the United States, May 23, 1788 (1988) in our stacks. Access the "Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution."
October 2 - "Uniquely BDC:" In honor of National Newspaper Week, today's highlight is the oldest original newspaper in the Research Room. We take care of the New York Herald issue of February 26, 1803. A note on the acidic enclosure it "lived in" until 2015 says "Contains Rutledge, John [Jr.] To the electors of the united districts of Beaufort Orangeburg & Barnwell." Ashley Sylva re-discovered it while she was working on creating an inventory of some of the archival materials here. We separated the acidic enclosure from the cotton-rag paper newspaper, retaining both as shown in the photos. In essence, John Rutledge, Jr. was retiring from public life. He sounds a bit disappointed that the boundaries of his district had been adjusted and that party strife had caused him to not run again. What his letter doesn't say is that Rutledge had been embroiled in a very public scandal since 1801 (for more about that), so he had to retire. From other sources, it appears that Mr. Rutledge Jr.'s blood tended to run hot. It most assuredly did so in 1804 when he found out that his wife and the mother of his 6 children had strayed from the marital bed. You can learn about that Rutledge v. Dr. Senter duel (1804) in "Duels in Beaufort District" presented by Neil Baxley on the Library's YouTube Channel, minutes 15:00 - 18:00. Near the end of his letter reprinted from the Charleston Courier Rutledge encouraged adherence to the US Constitution in words that seem to ring true 220 years later. October 6 - Celebrate National Newspaper Week by learning how to navigate the Chronicling America website. Chronicling America is a free digital collection of over 20 million pages from American newspapers published between 1770 and 1963, includes some published in the 19th century from Beaufort District, SC.
September 19 - ARRRRGGGHHHH! It's "Talk like a Pirate Day." Separate myth from fact beginning with our own List of Links and Materials about the "Pirates of the Lowcountry."
October 6 - Folks who have subscribed to the Local History newsletter got an opportunity for a special show and tell last week. The group photo consists mostly of Clover Club members - who hold a very special place in my heart for their years of support of library services and for the special collections in the BDC. (The young man holding the Journal of the Beaufort College Trustees, 1795 - 1868 volume is Jalen Lugo Rosa, the BDC's newest staff member.) More photos can be seen in the "13 for the 13th" Album under the Photos tab.
September 20 - "Black History Note Wednesday:" Penn School was one of the first schools to teach the newly freed enslaved. We have a list of materials and links about this historic educational institution for African-Americans on the BDCBCL: Links, Lists and Finding Aids blog.September 27 - "Black History Note Wednesday:" Although school seldom starts in September in this state anymore, September = Schools in my mind. Our native son Robert Smalls sponsored state legislation to establish public schools open to all children in South Carolina. Read more about this local hero on the BDCBCL: Lists, Links and Finding Aids blog.
October 4 - "Black History Note Wednesdays:" 161 years ago today, the New South newspaper published in Port Royal reported about plans to develop a "Negro village." Later this village would be called Mitchelville. You can read the October 4, 1862 issue of the New South newspaper online and we have an entry about Mitchelville on our BDCBCL: Lists, Links and Finding Aids blog.
October 11 - [Black History Note Wednesday:] In honor of Gullah Geechee Heritage Month, I'd like to do a little crowing about BDC resources. The Beaufort Township Library and its successor the Beaufort County Library were collecting and sharing Gullah Geechee materials long before it was trendy to do so. For example, the BDC Research Room has a number of Gullah related materials from the 1920s and 1930s in our stacks that most libraries do not have. Case in point: Just the other day Dr. Eric Crawford and I were talking recently about Diton's Thirty-six South Carolina Spirituals (1928).
October 9 - No "Uniquely BDC" post today. The library system is closed for "Staff Work Day." I'll be excavating my office. I'm sure to find plenty of things for Jalen to file, put on the collection development spreadsheet, and set things in motion for Technical Services to catalog. The "Before" pictures will frighten you. I hope that when I place the "Before" alongside the situation at 4:45 PM today, the difference will be noticeable. But ... that remains to be seen. I do have a tendency to get a little distracted by interesting re-discoveries.
October 13 - My desk before [above] and after [on the left] Library Staff Work Day. Excavation was at least partially successful. Lots more digging yet to do though I do have some small measure of hope now.
October 10 - One thing that you can do during Family History Month is share your research with others. Most of our family files [Campbell Family or Daise Family, e.g.] are the result of gifts to the BDC. This is likely the case for many libraries and archives. So even if your family line hasn't been in Beaufort District for 2 or more consecutive generations, donate your research to a library that collects family histories for its area. It's a great way to preserve your research for future generations of family historians.
October 15 - There's still time for you to plan a little heritage travel during Family History Month. Find sites of interest near an ancestor's hometown, or visit a local cemetery. We have a list of some Beaufort District Cemeteries to get you started.
September 21 - October 15 : 10 posts about upcoming programs and/or photos from programs just held.
"13 for the 13th" was only for Local History e-newsletter subscribers
We thank our partners, Beaufort County Historical Society, Beaufort History Museum and our presenters so far this fiscal year for their willingness to share their knowledge of Beaufort District's long and storied history at your local history programs: Nathan Betcher, Dr. Larry Rowland, Col. Chris Allen, Nelle Smith, Ora Smith, Dr. Jon Leader, Dr. Eric Poplin, and Kayleigh Vaughn. The BDC couldn't create such a broad or frequent roster without their considerable assistance.
No comments:
Post a Comment