I went to the Old Exchange Building and Provost’s Dungeon this past week to get a better insight into 18th century life for Charlestonians. I chose this location because it is one of the historic landmarks I have not been to in Charleston yet, and I thought it would be a great way to expose myself to something new while also being able to use the historical knowledge I have gained in this class.

My first stop of this 18th-century tour of Charleston was at the Washington square park on Broad St. I walked around, and admired the statues and signage that explained who the person was and why they were important. Of course, the one I stopped at for longer than the others was the George Washington statue. It was incredibly interesting to read about his travels to Charleston, and his impact on the country. Having that statue be the first stop on my trip set it up to be the perfect journey through the experience of the early United States.

Once I arrived at the Old Exchange Building, I was met with two young men dressed in 18th-century garb selling tickets at the front door. It honestly felt as though I was sent back to the 18th century myself, at that moment. Additionally, once I walked in, and could see all of the artifacts from the 18th century, I felt especially drawn back at that time period. Throughout being able to look at the artifacts and their descriptors, I became more conscious of the power these people once had in the early Americas. The most impactful point of the exhibit to me was the part in which they allowed you to “see back in time” through paintings of what you would have been able to see from the Old Exchange Building’s windows during the 18th century. I stood at those murals for a while, pondering the experience of those who actually lived through that time period, and would have been able to see through those windows in the past.

As I walked through the rest of the Old Exchange Building, being able to witness actual artifacts was very helpful in making connections to what we have learned in this course. Seeing familiar names, as well as familiar events was extremely interesting, grabbed my attention– especially after learning about all of this in the class. Some pictures I chose not to include in this blog post, but that were still very important to me, were some descriptions of Benjamin Franklin as well as John Andre. Having had the ability to read the works of these individuals, and then see their “most important” facts listed in a museum added to the experience for me.

I personally found it incredibly beneficial to see descriptions of the people we discuss in class, and some artifacts from that time period. I think this puts students who live in Charleston at an advantage, as not many other colleges have as many historical landmarks and museums about American history as we do.