Uncover Post-Civil War African American History at These Attractions in Columbia, South Carolina – Episode 158
Discover things to see and attractions in Columbia, South Carolina, offering a blend of African American history, art, culture, and heritage. Welcome to the heart of South Carolina. The capital city of “The Palmetto State” named after Christopher Columbus. Columbia offers visitors the unique opportunity to dive deep into American history and learn about the Reconstruction Era, an often misunderstood time. This short period from 1865 to 1877 was a challenging time of integrating the southern states back into the Union after the Civil War. Although the American Civil War and the ending of slavery are well-known historical events, the experiences of newly freed African Americans in the immediate aftermath are often overlooked — and, quite frankly, ignored.
However, efforts are being made to draw greater attention to the Reconstruction Era, emphasizing its significance in shaping American history. Columbia, South Carolina, is leading the charge with the Reconstruction Era Trail, which tells the story of the post-Civil War period as it happened in Columbia, South Carolina. This history trail highlights the trailblazers and the important locations that shaped this complex period and its lasting impact on issues of race, civil rights, and the legal status of African Americans.
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This episode is for you if you are looking for places to visit in Columbia, South Carolina, or are interested in historical places or historic sites in Columbia, South Carolina.
Columbia is studded with historic homes, landmarks, sites, and museums preserving and interpreting American history, particularly African American history within Columbia and beyond.
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We explore the transition from slavery to freedom, the challenges faced, and the progress made by African Americans, including establishing communities, access to education, and economic opportunities.
Visit these historical and cultural attractions in Columbia, South Carolina that showcase the African American experience post-Civil War.
In this episode, we cover:
- [1:46] – African-American Challenges Post-Civil War
- [2:40] – Historic Sites in Columbia
- [4:05] – Museum of the Reconstruction Era
- [5:58] – African-American Family Reunification
- [7:27] – Political Changes and Backlash
- [8:09] – The End of Reconstruction
- [16:10] – Columbia’s Washington Street Corridor’s Significance
- [22:57] – Paths to Freedom Exhibit at McKissick Museum
- [25:08] – Reflections on Ancestral Strength
This Reconstruction Era-inspired episode is made in partnership with Experience Columbia SC, where you’ll find things to do, year-round events, and everything you need to plan an unforgettable trip. Visit experiencecolumbiasc.com to learn more, and follow @columbiasc on Instagram for what’s happening in town and even more trip ideas.
Reconstruction Era Brought Significant Change
The Reconstruction Era, following the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves, brought about significant change in American society.
When Black men gained the right to vote, they began to occupy elected positions and serve their communities in dynamic ways. This led to the rise of the Black Power Movement and brought about groundbreaking changes in South Carolina. The establishment of the public school system and the availability of social services for all, regardless of race, were among the significant achievements of the Black majority in the legislature, who were Republicans at the time.
However, in 1876, a white supremacist was elected into power, leading to the swift removal of most of the positive changes made during Reconstruction. The white elite class not only undid the actions taken but also systematically reshaped the narrative surrounding the Reconstruction Era. Over time, the period came to be dismissed as a difficult and negative time in American history when, in reality, it was a period of opportunity for the Black community.
Racial tension rose during this time as white people resented the changes that were taking place. False narratives were spread, downplaying the severity of slavery and portraying Reconstruction as a failure.
The 1915 film, “Birth of a Nation,” further fueled racial hatred by glorifying the Ku Klux Klan and reinforcing negative stereotypes about African Americans. Even President Woodrow Wilson hosted a screening of this movie at the White House, perpetuating racial tension.
These actions and the removal of federal support and protection for African Americans through the Compromise of 1877 marked the end of the Reconstruction. The consequences of the end of Reconstruction were far-reaching. Southern states became more autonomous and passed laws motivated by racism, leading to the Jim Crow era. Systemic racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans became the norm in the Southern United States. This period of oppression and inequality would eventually fuel the Civil Rights Movement.
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Historic Attractions in Columbia, South Carolina
1. Museum of the Reconstruction Era at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
Explore Columbia’s racial, social, and political landscape during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era by visiting The Museum of the Reconstruction Era, the nation’s only museum dedicated to interpreting the post-Civil War Reconstruction period and South Carolina’s only remaining presidential site.
This 1871 well-preserved Italian villa-style residence was home to a 14-year-old boy named “Tommy” Woodrow Wilson, the future 28th president of the United States. Although he lived here briefly, what he saw in Columbia is said to have affected how he viewed African Americans and potentially influenced his presidency.
Walking through the historic home, you’ll see items that belonged to the Woodrow family, like a family photo album, family quilt, bible, Tommy’s childhood desk, and other items common to the period like locally-made pottery, dresses worn by middle-class women, at the time, and more. However, the focus of the museum is on Reconstruction.
Family
After the abolishment of slavery, African Americans were able to reunite with their families, establish institutions such as schools and churches, and negotiate new terms of labor.
Putting notices in churches, advertisements in newspapers, and even visiting plantations were common ways to find lost family members across the country.
Marriages were now legally recognized.
Freedom of Religion
African Americans established Black churches as havens for religion and community, making them the center of Black communities.
Wage Labor
Moving from enslaved labor to wage labor, many Black people stayed in their line of work but began negotiating their pay.
Education
In 1873, the South Carolina legislature established the State Normal School, later known as South Carolina State University, which played a crucial role in training teachers, specifically African American teachers. African Americans now had access to public schools where they could formally learn how to read and write.
But with all these changes and progress, there was backlash.
I had a chance to sit down with Robin Waites, the Executive Director of Historic Columbia, an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the complex history of Columbia and Richland County.
We discussed the importance of dismantling myths around Reconstruction and the decision to have guided tours instead of self-paced or audio tours.
Reconstruction has been so misrepresented over time that it can be hard to unpack. And it’s important for us to dismantle the myths of Reconstruction. And so having another human be able to walk you through that and talk about some of the really complex stories, to be able to ask questions, to really create dialogue, is an important part of the experience for us.
Robin Waites
The Museum of the Reconstruction Era was truly enlightening. It provided me with a better understanding of what freedom looked like for African Americans who were freed from slavery. It also helped me conceptualize how their rights were gradually taken away, leading to segregation, the establishment of Jim Crow laws, and eventually the Civil Rights Movement. The emancipation of slaves wasn’t the end of the story. On the contrary, it was the beginning of a new chapter.
If you want to learn about the times that influenced a region, a nation, and President Woodrow Wilson, don’t miss The Museum of the Reconstruction Era when you visit Columbia.
Some notes about the tour – During the guided tour, I was grateful to have a personal tour guide named Heather. She walked me through the historic home, highlighting areas I may have missed, sharing complex stories, providing deeper context, and answering my questions.
I highly recommend taking the time to examine all of the displays and read the detailed signs, as there is a lot of information to cover.
Keep in mind that tours of the house’s interior are by appointment only.
2. Our Story Matters Gallery
Visit “Our Story Matters Gallery” at the Columbia Museum of Art to learn about African American life and culture in Columbia from Reconstruction through the 1970s.
The exhibition, Intersections on Main Street: African American Life in Columbia, features photographs, newspaper clippings, maps, and historical artifacts highlighting people’s lives and experiences in downtown Columbia.
One of the things I wasn’t expecting to see was framed portraits. Those picture frames on the cabinets looked so homey, like what you would find in your grandmother’s living room or someone’s den. It’s not something you’d expect to see at a museum.
Images from famed photographer Richard Samuel Roberts’ studio make up the exhibition’s core.
To share what visitors can expect when visiting the gallery and more about the importance of the Washington Street corridor, which was a hub for Black businesses post-slavery until the 1970s, I’m joined by Dr. Bobby Donaldson, who leads the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina-Columbia and lead historian and scholar of Columbia SC 63.
The historic district dates back generations to the period of post-slavery during the period of Reconstruction. During this period, African-Americans were beginning to create a world of their own. They were creating their own self-sustaining communities, organizations and institutions behind the barriers of racial segregation. One of the landmarks in that Washington Street corridor is the Zion Baptist Church, a church that was established right after the Civil War, and that continues to be a powerful landmark in that area. And the Zion Baptist Church is just one example of what African Americans decided to do to create a world of their own. And so during that period, they created their own businesses, they created their own Masonic lodges, their own churches, their own schools. And so I tell people that the Washington Street Corridor, in many respects, is a monument to Black ingenuity, Black creativity, Black resilience, and Black resistance during the 19th and early 20th centuries.”
Dr. Bobby Donaldson
3. Paths To Freedom Exhibit
In South Carolina, cotton was an important component of the agricultural economy. Did you know that 80% of the state’s enslaved participated in cotton cultivation and harvesting?
At McKissick Museum, I had a chance to visit Paths To Freedom, a temporary exhibit by master printmaker and photographer John E. Dowell that featured digitally edited photographs imagining the escape experience of enslaved African Americans as they sought freedom from bondage.
Knowing that slaves didn’t run away in the daytime, Dowell started by asking, “What would an enslaved person feel and think the night before escaping bondage? Where would they get the strength and courage to start such a dangerous journey?”
It’s believed ancestors have an obligation to assist their descendants — communicating through dreams, visions, and religious services.
Dowell believes his grandmother spoke to him in his dreams. It all began in 2011 when he had dreams of his grandmother (who had passed away 45 years prior). His grandmother, Lucy “Big Mommy” Dowell, had grown up near a cotton field.
Inspired by the Underground Railroad, Dowell puts the viewer in dark, moonlit cotton fields in the middle of the night.
My favorite piece was ‘Do You See Them’ (2020), where the fields are so dark that you barely see small groups congregating. It forced me to lean in, and I wondered if I missed any more huddling groups. I loved this unframed image because it puts you in this dangerous and frightening scenario. Still, there’s comfort in knowing the spirits are guiding you to freedom.
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I left Columbia with new insights, a stronger connection to American history, a greater understanding of the past, the importance of the Reconstruction Era, and its ongoing relevance as we grapple with equity and access today.
Despite the uncertainty, racial tensions, and all of the social, political, and economic changes during that time, there was a feeling of optimism, hope, freedom, and opportunity among newly freed African Americans. Things we can all connect to today.
If you enjoyed this episode, I invite you to follow The Thought Card Podcast on your favorite podcast player and continue the series. You’ve just read and listened to the first of many stories in this African American heritage series, which takes us across the country.
Other Episodes You’ll Enjoy
Beyond the Underground Railroad: Harriet Tubman’s Life and Legacy in Auburn, New York – Episode 161
Boston Travel Guide: Things To Do To Celebrate Black Culture and Support Black-Owned Businesses – Episode 177
Read the full episode transcript.
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Danielle Desir Corbett is an award-winning and 6x grant-funded travel writer and podcast host who went from financial struggle to visiting 27+ countries all without waiting until retirement. Her story is proof that budget doesn’t limit adventure. Tune into The Thought Card Podcast for practical strategies to travel smarter and live on your terms. Say hello: thethoughtcard (at) gmail (dot) com.
