Have you heard anyone say, “There sure is a lot of history around here”? Maybe you’ve said it yourself. I know I used to. But I don’t say that anymore. It’s too vague and wishy-washy. Now I say we have the MOST history of anywhere in the United States.
I define “history” as the events and people that you would have witnessed if you stood on Sullivan’s Island beach (near Fort Moultrie today) for 500 years. Those events and people would have been within eyeshot and/or earshot of where you were standing. They encompass the good, the bad and the ugly ingredients that have produced the greatest nation in the history of the world. And yes, that nation is still a work in progress, but we need to understand and build on where we have already been.
Indigenous peoples, slavery, piracy and brutal combat are all part of our story. So are human perseverance and courage. Economic development. Arts and letters. We are America.
I have developed my views over five years as a volunteer at Fort Moultrie. And please note these are my views and do not reflect any official National Park Service (NPS) position.
Fort Sumter is the more significant visitor draw for NPS parks in the area, and many visitors have never heard of Fort Moultrie. We tell the Sumter story at Moultrie, too, but we have so much more multifaceted history to share about our fort and island.
Our history is sweeping — from seeing canoes of Indigenous peoples with bows and arrows to submarines carrying nuclear missiles. From the sounds of the chains and shackles of the enslaved to the faint strains of “We Shall Overcome” wafting across the harbor from the Charleston Cigar Factory strike of 1945. And yes, the carnage of the two major wars that have defined us and maintained us as Americans.
I have tested my views over many years with hundreds of visitors and find that only Boston people have a negative visceral reaction to not being No. 1! Please note I do not include our nation’s capital or single sites like Gettysburg in my “most historic” assessment.
I have summarized my arguments in a book published on July 4, 2026, called BULLSEYE: Fort Moultrie at the Center of America’s History. All profits and royalties go to the NPS and Friends of Charleston National Parks, so forgive the shameless plug.
Neighbors, we live on hallowed ground. Come see us at Fort Moultrie!
Norm Rickeman
Resident author:
- UNSUNG: William Moultrie and the Battle of Sullivan’s Island (2024)
- BULLSEYE: Fort Moultrie at the Center of America’s History (2026)