Many metaphors have been used to describe the distinctive geography of Charleston and the surrounding waters; some poetic, some less so, others nearly obscene. Let us just say that the city is serenely located at the tip of a peninsula formed by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, which join to form Charleston Harbor and empty into the Atlantic Ocean.
Indians were there first, and the Spanish passed through on occasion, but it was the English who have made the most impact on area, starting in 1670. Charles Towne, as it was known then, was first situated a few miles up the Ashley River, but the lure of the peninsula was too great, and the inhabitants relocated after about 10 years.
A liberal immigration policy, which attracted industrious French Huguenots, and religious toleration, which attracted Jewish merchants and others, led to the town's early rise as a center of commerce and planting. Other immigrants, less willing but with critical skills and labor, made possible a plantation economy which was among the wealthiest in the world.
Planters and merchants vied among themselves to build opulent townhouses, some of which were only occupied a few months out of the year. As they built and remodeled over the decades, the city acquired a subtle blend of architectural styles from Georgian to Palladian to Federal to Greek Revival and Victorian. The motif which Charleston has become know for though, is the house turned edgewise, with a single room facing the street and a large porch overlooking a garden. It is a design ideally suited to the hot, humid summers. The city even has a color, Charleston Green, a very dark shade, similar to the green of this background, which appears on shutters, trim, and trolleys throughout the city.
Belieing its beauty, Charleston is a city associated with disaster. Fire was a constant scourge for the better part of two centuries, an earthquake shook the city after the Civil War, and a whole series of hurricanes have marched through. In recent memory, Hugo caused great destruction in 1989. But the events that really stand out are the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
Charleston was a city of Revolutionary zeal, and home to four signers of the Declaration of Independence. It was successfully defended against two British attacks, but in 1780 fell to an overwhelming British force and occupied for two years. Resistance went underground and several leading citizens were carried off to prison. Francis Marion, the famous Swamp Fox, led a guerrilla campaign in the surrounding Low Country.
The quest for independence also imbued the sons of Revolutionaries; and in 1861, they passed the Ordinance of Secession for South Carolina in Charleston. The city quickly became even more notable as the home of Fort Sumter, an uncompleted masonry fort guarding the harbor. The garrison commander, Major Anderson, refused to turn the fort over to the state. It was intolerable to the people of South Carolina to have a foreign fortification menacing their main harbor, and they were forced to fire upon it to prevent its resupply. The most destructive of American wars was the result, and Charleston endured 3 years of Federal siege. It wasn't taken until the last few months of the war, when Sherman attacked it from behind.
Charleston was preserved, but just barely. The wealth was gone, and efforts were focused on just maintaining the status quo. In the end, that has proved a blessing for the city, for there was no money to tear down the old, and modern Charleston has inherited a beautiful and well preserved historic district. In fact, the historic district, created in 1931, was among the first in the nation.
Modern Charleston has a historic district unparalleled in America, but the rest of the city suffers from typical urban ills, isolated from the brick streets by the city's peculiar geography. No visitor can miss the areas of blight and decay which must be passed to view the Charleston visitors adore. Hopefully, as the city continues to prosper, some of the wealth will seep into the surrounding communities which still have much to offer.
Many metaphors have been used to describe the distinctive geography of Charleston and the surrounding waters; some poetic, some less so, others nearly obscene. Let us just say that the city is serenely located at the tip of a peninsula formed by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, which join to form Charleston Harbor and empty into the Atlantic Ocean. 
