Charleston Time Machine

Latest Episodes:

Episode 329: Free Judy's Place on Charleston Neck Sep 25, 2026

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Three hundred years ago, a Black woman called Judy cultivated a small farm within the sylvan landscape of suburban Charleston. Most residents of the present community have traversed her property without noticing its ancient boundaries, and few recognize her landmark name that endured for nearly a century. Let’s expand our historical radar with an illuminating journey to Free Judy’s place on Charleston Neck.

Episode 328: The British Withdrawal from Charleston Harbor, January 1776 Sep 11, 2026

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Lord William Campbell’s six-month struggle to uphold British authority in South Carolina collapsed during the final wintry days of 1775, but the tenacious royal governor did not concede defeat. His withdrawal to neighboring colonies in January 1776 marked a significant turning point in the colony’s path to political independence, and set the stage for a violent summer reunion on Sullivan’s Island.

Episode 327: The American Raid on Sullivan's Island, 19 December 1775 Aug 28, 2026

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Episode 327: The American Raid on Sullivan's Island, 19 December 1775 by Nic Butler, Ph.D.

Episode 326: The Flight of Sarah Izard Campbell, December 1775 Aug 14, 2026

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Lady William Campbell, formerly Miss Sarah Izard, endured three months’ separation from her husband during the autumn of 1775, thanks to the collapse of British authority in the capital of South Carolina. When allies warned that she might become a rebel hostage, Sarah entrusted her life and that of her children to loyal confederates who helped spirit them out of Charleston under a moonless sky.

Episode 325: Raids, Reprisals, and Rebellion in December 1775 Jul 31, 2026

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In early December 1775, anxiety about food security drove the king’s mariners in Rebellion Road to commit spiteful acts of plunder. Illegal seizures made on both land and sea fueled contempt for royal authority across South Carolina and inspired rebel leaders in Charleston to pursue an increasingly aggressive course, tightening a metaphorical noose around the loyalist sanctuary on Sullivan’s Island.

Episode 324: The Return of the Scorpion in late 1775 Jul 17, 2026

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The return of the sloop-of-war Scorpion to South Carolina in late November 1775 heightened rebel fears of an attack on Charleston, but the warship’s real mission was far less threatening. Rather than heralding the imminent arrival of reinforcements from England, the Scorpion delivered news that enraged the colony’s royal governor, while simultaneously accelerating rebel momentum to drive the king’s ships from Rebellion Road.

Credits: 010 Jul 16, 2026

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Featuring Dr. Nic Butler of the Charleston Time Machine podcast, our latest Listening Booth series celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution with short stories exploring Charleston's Revolutionary War history.

Victory Day in Charleston, December 14th, 1782: 009 Jul 16, 2026

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Sampson Waldron: Ship Pilot Extraordinary: 008 Jul 16, 2026

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Phebe Fletcher: A ‘Magdalene’ in Revolutionary Charleston: 007 Jul 16, 2026

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