Fort Moultrie is our first stop of the day. This fort is on Sullivan's Island. It was originally built pre-Revolutionary War but has been through several versions after being destroyed in battle or run down from neglect. The fort as it is now shows how it looked at different points in its history.
The entire coast of America was once protected by a series of forts when invaders typically came by land or by sea. This fort was started before the Revolutionary War but wasn't finished before the war started and it was involved in a battle. It was built with palmetto tress and dirt to absorb the shock of cannon balls. After the war, it was damaged heavily by a storm and fell into disrepair. In 1798 the second version of the fort was completed, but destroyed by a hurricane 6 years later. A third version was finished in the early 1800s before the war of 1812. It was part of the Civil War battles for Charlesron and then served as a training ground during the World Wars. It is interesting to note that after the world Wars forts were no longer an essential part of our country's defense. Aircraft carriers, bombs and nuclear weapons made useless the system of forts that had guided Ameican military strategy for 200 years
For more history, visit the National Park Service:(http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/charleston/sum.HTM)
We started with a quick video on the visitors center before heading into the museum.
And then headed outside for some awesome panoramas!
Next up is a stop at the ship and then dinner!
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