Sepia toned antique newspaper illustration depicts people running down street looking terrified

The Great Charleston Earthquake, 1886

Discover details about the devastation of the 1886 Charleston Earthquake and how rescue efforts were deployed during the 1800s in this traveling exhibition.

The most destructive earthquake ever recorded in the eastern United States, occurred near Charleston, SC on August 31, 1886. Discover details about the devastation and how rescue efforts were deployed during the 1800’s. The exhibition also teaches how to protect yourself today should an earthquake occur.

The exhibition was developed by the South Carolina State Museum with research, collaboration and assistance from Susan Millar Williams and Stephen G. Hoffius, authors of Upheaval in Charleston: Earthquake and Murder on the Eve of Jim Crow (University of Georgia Press, 2011) and the Emergency Management Division of South Carolina.

The exhibition includes a tour aligned with S.C. education standards for venues wishing to attract school groups and also includes materials for an entertaining tent building project to be used during family or school programs.

Schedule

Available