Storied & Scandalous Charleston: A History of Piracy and Prohibition, Rebellion and Revolution
Quaker William Penn once described "Charles Town" as “a hotbed of piracy,” full of wayward women “who frequented a tap room on The Bay and infected a goodly number of the militia with the pox.” Since the Carolina Colony was founded and named for Charles II, the Merry Monarch, it’s no surprise that Charlestonians have always had a flair for flouting the rules. In the 18th century, Bostonian Josiah Quincy complained that Charlestonians, “are devoted to debauchery and probably carry it to a greater length than any other people.”

In Storied & Scandalous Charleston, storyteller Leigh Jones Handal weaves tales of piracy, rebellion, ancient codes of honor, and first-hand accounts of the madness that ensued as the city fell first to the British in 1780 and then to the Union in 1865. Meet some of the foremost female criminals of the day—lady pirate Anne Bonny and highwaywoman Livinia Fisher. And learn how centuries of war, natural disasters, bankruptcy, and chaos shaped modern Charleston and the Carolina Low Country.

1138458348
Storied & Scandalous Charleston: A History of Piracy and Prohibition, Rebellion and Revolution
Quaker William Penn once described "Charles Town" as “a hotbed of piracy,” full of wayward women “who frequented a tap room on The Bay and infected a goodly number of the militia with the pox.” Since the Carolina Colony was founded and named for Charles II, the Merry Monarch, it’s no surprise that Charlestonians have always had a flair for flouting the rules. In the 18th century, Bostonian Josiah Quincy complained that Charlestonians, “are devoted to debauchery and probably carry it to a greater length than any other people.”

In Storied & Scandalous Charleston, storyteller Leigh Jones Handal weaves tales of piracy, rebellion, ancient codes of honor, and first-hand accounts of the madness that ensued as the city fell first to the British in 1780 and then to the Union in 1865. Meet some of the foremost female criminals of the day—lady pirate Anne Bonny and highwaywoman Livinia Fisher. And learn how centuries of war, natural disasters, bankruptcy, and chaos shaped modern Charleston and the Carolina Low Country.

19.95 In Stock
Storied & Scandalous Charleston: A History of Piracy and Prohibition, Rebellion and Revolution

Storied & Scandalous Charleston: A History of Piracy and Prohibition, Rebellion and Revolution

by Leigh Jones Handal
Storied & Scandalous Charleston: A History of Piracy and Prohibition, Rebellion and Revolution

Storied & Scandalous Charleston: A History of Piracy and Prohibition, Rebellion and Revolution

by Leigh Jones Handal

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Overview

Quaker William Penn once described "Charles Town" as “a hotbed of piracy,” full of wayward women “who frequented a tap room on The Bay and infected a goodly number of the militia with the pox.” Since the Carolina Colony was founded and named for Charles II, the Merry Monarch, it’s no surprise that Charlestonians have always had a flair for flouting the rules. In the 18th century, Bostonian Josiah Quincy complained that Charlestonians, “are devoted to debauchery and probably carry it to a greater length than any other people.”

In Storied & Scandalous Charleston, storyteller Leigh Jones Handal weaves tales of piracy, rebellion, ancient codes of honor, and first-hand accounts of the madness that ensued as the city fell first to the British in 1780 and then to the Union in 1865. Meet some of the foremost female criminals of the day—lady pirate Anne Bonny and highwaywoman Livinia Fisher. And learn how centuries of war, natural disasters, bankruptcy, and chaos shaped modern Charleston and the Carolina Low Country.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781493061853
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 08/01/2022
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

A native South Carolinian, Leigh Jones Handal has been an avid student of Lowcountry history since she was a Brownie Scout. A graduate of the College of Charleston with an MA degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina, Leigh has been a licensed city tour guide for more than 20 years and owns her own company, Charleston Raconteurs (charlestonraconteurs.com).

She served as director of Public Programs at Historic Charleston Foundation (1998-2010), and co-edited the city’s official history and tour guide training manual, released in 2011. She is also the author of Lost Charleston (Pavilion, 2019). She created and appears regularly on Lowcountry Live's “I Love the Lowcountry” series (WCIV-TV4).

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part I The Merry Monarch and His Holy City 1

How Charleston Earned its Nickname "The Holy City" 9

The Gayest, Wealthiest People in America 13

The Sport of Kings 16

Tripping the Light Fantastic 18

A Legacy of Illicit Love 20

Part II Dance of the Hempen Jig 33

Charles Town's Piratical Heyday 34

Stede Bonnet: Charles Town's Gentleman Pirate 39

Anne Bonny: The Remarkable Adventures of a Female Pyrate 53

Part III The Code Duello 61

The Sad Demise of Dr. Joseph Brown Ladd 68

Part IV The Famous, Infamous, and Mostly Forgotten 73

Mary Fisher Bayley Cross: A Woman on a Mission 78

America's First Cremation 85

Caradeux The Cruel 88

John and Lavinia Fisher: The Truth Behind the Legend 92

Death of the Carolina Parakeet 100

Part V Places with a Past 103

The Chapels of Berkeley County: Stories of Worship, War, Betrayal, and Fear 104

The Hopes and Horrors of Hampton Park 137

The Tail of Washington's Horse 156

Charleston's Public Square: Hell, Wicked Places, and Some Really Great Jazz 162

Part VI Curse of the Brackish Water 193

The Driest Place on Earth 194

The Rise of Pitchfork Ben Tillman 197

The Dispensary Act of 1893 202

Vincent Chicco: King of the Blind Tigers 205

Notes 209

Index 231

About the Author 245

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