Learning about Historic Hilton Head Island

The first written history of Hilton Head begins with Spanish explorers in 1562, who named the area from Key West to the St. Laurence River, La Florida. Before that time, the area was inhabited by indigenous peoples, and evidence of their culture can still be seen in the historic Shell Ring sites found throughout the island.

In 1562, French Huguenot Captain Jean Ribaut explored the area and built a fort near present day Port Royal. The territory was officially named Carolina in 1663 when King Charles II of England granted the territory to a group of proprietors known simply as the Eight Lord Proprietors. The name Hilton Head comes from the English Captain William Hilton, who named it for himself in 1663. A few years later, in 1698, English settlements began in the area known as the Low Country. In 1717, Col. John Barnwell became the first permanent settler on the island after being granted a thousand acres by the Lord Proprietors.

During the Revolutionary War, Hilton Head island was occupied by the Colonists, while nearby Dafuskie island was occupied the Tories, or British sympathizers. During the conflict, British soldiers burned plantations on the island and captured slaves, selling them to the West Indies. After the war, the island recovered and became a flourishing agriculture hub, exporting rice, indigo, and cotton.

At the time of the Civil War, South Carolina was one of the most prosperous states, and many millionaires lived on Hilton Head island. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in 1860, and by October of 1861, 77 Union ships had sailed from Virginia to Port Royal, The island became, towards the end of the war, the headquarters fro the South Atlantic Blocking Squadron, as well as a transfer point for prisoners of war and for wounded soldiers. The first Black troops for the Union also originated from the island, former slaves who, after war, used the money they earned as soldiers to buy land and settle on Hilton Head. The largest naval engagement of the Civil War, The Battle of Port Royal, was also fought on the islands shores.

Today, the island is an immensely popular tourist destination, incorporating pieces of Hilton Heads rich history into modern day museums, monuments, and historic sites. While you are vacationing on the island, be sure to see some of these places for yourself to discover more about the unique history of the area