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Sullivan's Island

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Located along the Harbor of Charleston County, South Carolina is Sullivan's Island. Also called as S.I., the island served a major role in the American Revolution, when it became the main battle grounds of the attack that took place on June 28, 1776. The date is now known as Carolina Day, is honor of the Battle of Sullivan Island.

The island was named after Captain Florence O'Sullivan, who served as the island's lighthouse keeper during the 17th century. O'Sullivan, who later on became surveyor general, first served as ship captain of one of the ships of Englishmen and Irishmen who first settled at South Carolina. During the height of slavery, Sullivan's Island served as the receiving port of over 200,000 slaves sold to different American colonies.

Much of the island's history centered on Sullivan's Fort Moultrie. The fort served as the command base of the city of Charleston, and was closed before the end of the 1940's. Fort Moultrie became Edgar Allan Poe's inspiration for the stories "The Balloon Hoax" and "The Gold Bug."

Now, Sullivan's Island is famous for its shipwrecks, such as the Civil war ships Prince Albert, Celt, Flamingo, Stono, Beatrice, and Flora. Other S.I. attractions that have been registered as historic places and draw lots of visitors are the Moultrieville Historic District, Atlanticville Historic District, and Sullivan's Island Historic District.

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