June 1776: Just a month before America declared its independence from
Great Britain, a British fleet of warships and thousands of British
soldiers appeared off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. Following
a brutal day-long battle, the most powerful navy in the world was
bloodily repulsed by the Americans.
In the spring of 1779, a British force brazenly marched up to Charleston
from Savannah and tested the city's defenses before falling back.
Finally, in the spring of 1780, a massive British force returned to
Charleston and laid siege to the city. This siege resulted in the worst
defeat of the Revolutionary War for the Americans, as they lost the city
and an entire army of nearly 6,000 men.
After being conquered by the British, the citizens and soldiers suffered
more than two years of occupation and imprisonment. However, the siege
of Charleston marked the beginning of the end of the Revolutionary War.
The fall of Charleston initiated a series of events that ultimately
resulted with the American victory at Yorktown and the successful
independence of the United States.
Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most beautiful and historic
cities in the United States. Numerous sites, battlefields, and buildings
from the period of the Revolution still exist. In To the Last
Extremity: The Battles for Charleston, historian Mark Maloy not only
recounts the Revolutionary War history of Charleston, he takes you to
the places where the history actually happened. He shows you where the
outnumbered patriots beat back the most powerful navy in the world,
where soldiers bravely defended the city in 1779 and 1780, and where
thousands suffered under occupation. Through it all, brave patriots were
willing to defend the city and their liberty "to the last extremity."
