N O S TA LG I A
Backroads transport us to the places and events that commemorate our country’s history. Here are some from Southeastern falls of the past.
V I R G I N I A’ S F O R G O T T E N T H A N K S G I V I N G DECEMBER 4, 1619
Unbeknownst to many, Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia, hosted a thanksgiving in 1619, predating the pilgrims’ 1621 feast. English settlers gave thanks upon arriving at Harrison’s Landing. Though earlier thanksgiving celebrations occurred in Texas, Florida, and Maine, the Berkeley’s Plantation event is considered by many historians to be the first official English thanksgiving. The pilgrims’ story overshadowed Virginia’s somber observance, but Berkeley Plantation continues to honor its history with an annual festival and a forthcoming documentary.
Berkeley Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia berkeleyplantation.com
BERKELEY PLANTATION (BEFORE RESTORATION) (CA. 1934-35) CHARLES CITY, CHARLES CITY COUNTY, VIRGINIA; BY ALBERT S. BURNS, COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
T H E B R I T I S H E V A C U AT I O N OF CHARLESTON DECEMBER 14, 1782
The British completed their evacuation of Charleston on December 14, 1782, ending over two years of occupation. A 400‑man Continental rear guard consisting of 300 light infantry, 80 cavalry under “Light Horse” Lee, and 20 gunners, entered the city under Major General Anthony Wayne to ensure an orderly transition. Around 14,000 people departed aboard some 130 Royal Navy ships, including roughly 4,200 Loyalists and over 5,000 people of African descent—many enslaved, some freed. One plantation that served an important role during the British occupation of Charleston is Fenwick Plantation. In 1780 during the American Revolutionary War, Fenwick Hall Plantation on Johns Island, Charleston, served as British General Sir Henry Clinton’s headquarters in 1780 during the Siege of Charleston. The plantation still exists but is privately owned and not open for public tours, but operates as a premier wedding and special events venue. Learn more at fenwickhall.com.
Charleston, South Carolina nps.gov/articles/000/british-evacuation-of-charleston.htm 1782 MAP OF CHARLES TOWN COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; ILLUSTRATED BY A. MATTHAE; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COLLECTION
16 | B ACKR OAD PO RTFO LI O