Black Sails Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Charles Town
Charleston
Continent North America
Location Province of Carolina
Notable inhabitants Peter Ashe
William Rhett
Population British citizens

Slaves

Affiliation British Empire

Charles Town is the capital of the British Province of Carolina.

Layout

Charles Town is defended by The Battery, a defensive wall with massive bastions lined with cannon and manned by a well trained militia. The jetty is defended by additional wooden fortifications, along with a lookout tower. Near the jetty within the town walls are slave pens, stables and houses. There is at least one butchery in the city between the square and the jetty. Also near the jetty is a gallows, where pirates are hanged.

The town square is lined with various shops, including an apothecary, White's Inn, a brewery and a church. There is an alehouse near the brewery. A long and straight road leads from the square to the Governor's Mansion.

The Charles Town Harbor is formed by the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper rivers.

History

Background

After Carolina was granted to the Lords Proprietor in 1663, it took seven years to put together an expedition to establish a settlement. Charles Town was originally established on the west bank of the Ashley River. In 1681, as the colony grew, the city was moved to its present location on the peninsula. As one of the southernmost settlements of the British Empire, the area came under frequent attack by the Spanish, French, Pirates and Native Americans. In 1706, The Battery, the defensive wall around the city, was erected.

Around that time, Lord Peter Ashe was appointed Governor of Carolina. At the time, the city's shipping faced frequent raids from pirates. Originally, he was reasonable in his efforts to quell the problem. However, after Lord Proprietor Alfred Hamilton was hunted down by Captain Flint while traveling under an assumed name to Charles Town, he became extremely brutal towards the pirates. He and the Carolina Militia stamped out piracy in the area[1]

Season One

After rescuing Richard Guthrie from being arrested by Captain Hume of the Royal Navy, Flint explains to Billy Bones that soon, word of Richard’s arrest will reach Charles Town, New York, and eventually Boston, meaning that the Guthrie Trading Company’s ships would stop fencing the pirates’ cargo[2].

Season  Two

En route to Charles Town, the Good Fortune, a merchant ship, is waylaid by pirates. Despite surrendering, the pirates kill every member of the crew after learning that Abigail Ashe, the daughter of the Lord Governor of the Province of Carolina, Peter Ashe, is aboard. They abduct her and sink the ship before departing for Nassau[3].

During the election between Flint and Benjamin Hornigold, Flint has John Silver speak for him after learning that the Urca de Lima gold is gone. Flint tells Silver that the case for returning Abigail to Charles Town and reconciliation with the British Empire cannot come from him. As they escape Fort Nassau, Abigail Ashe tells Eleanor Guthrie that she has never been to Charles Town. Her father had her remain behind in London, saying the city was far too coarse and violent a place for a young girl. Meanwhile, while they wait for Eleanor to return with Abigail, Richard Guthrie approaches Miranda Barlow and says that he has heard that she intends to join Flint on his voyage to Charles Town to return Abigail to her father. He warns her that the city may appear to be a civilized place, but it only appears so, and Governor Ashe and his militia brutally enforce the law[4].

After Flint wins the election and Abigail placed in his custody, he sets sail for Charles Town. En route, John Silver tells a story to the crew. He says that five years ago, he served on a merchant vessel running slaves in and out of Charles Town. He says he remembers the first time he saw the walls, patrol ships and all their guns. He tells them that his first mate saw the look on his face and leaned in and said that Charles Town is a place “resolved never to be fucked with.” As they were unloading their cargo, he observed a a gathering in the square around the gallows. He says he watched them haul up a man named Solomon Little. As he watched Little swing, the crowd jeered and laughed and celebrated. Silver warns the crew that what lies ahead isn’t just Governor Ashe and his men, the people of the city are eager to see their entire crew dead. If Flint is to make it through this alive, everyone will need to be focused and at their best. In a private conversation, Billy Bones and Mr. Scott discuss Silver’s storytelling ability. Bones reveals to Scott that the story is actually a combination of two other crew members’ stories, Bernard’s and Jeffries'.

As they get closer, Abigail begs Flint and Miranda to return her to Charles Town and then flee. She tells them that her father was originally reasonable when it came to dealing with the pirates. However, when Lord Alfred Hamilton was traveling to the city under an assumed name, his ship, the Maria Aleyne, was attacked by Flint. Given that Alfred was traveling under a fake name and had gone to great lengths to protect himself, the fact that he was killed suggested that this was a planned execution. Her father then declared that this act was incompatible with civilized society, and that there would be law in the Americas the day Captain Flint swung over Charles Town.

Flint and Miranda decide to move forward with their plan anyway. When they arrive, they keep their ship out of range of The Battery. They are greeted by a Boat Captain from the militia, rows up to the ship and announces that they are willing to pay the sum Charles Vane requested for Abigail Ashe. Flint announces who he is and that he has no demands, only a request to meet with Governor Peter Ashe. The Boat Captain then rows Flint, Miranda Barlow and Abigail to the docks, where they are met by Colonel William Rhett. The Captain informs Rhett of the situation and Rhett escorts the trio into town.

They begin escorting Flint, Abigail and Miranda Barlow through the city to Governor Ashe. Rhett explains that before Lord Ashe arrived, the city's shipping was routinely assaulted by raiders, all up and down the coast. It took Ashe a while to learn how to deal with it, but things changed once he committed himself to fixing the problem. Lord Ashe made the people of Charles Town unafraid, and once they stopped fearing the raiders, they lost all their power. Rhett's men begin assaulting Flint and beat him until Abigail intervened, telling Rhett that Flint was actually an old friend of her father's. Rhett leads them to the Governor's Mansion, where Lord Ashe welcomes Flint and Miranda to Charles Town. Unbeknownst to Flint and his crew, Vane and his men have tracked them from Nassau and are hiding in the marshes on the riverbank opposite the city[1].

In the harbor at Charles Town, Billy Bones asks for volunteers among the riggers to repair the top sail footrope that killed Nicholas. When no one volunteers, Bones goes up the rigging to repair the footrope himself. As John Silver and Vincent look on, Silver asks Vincent if there is any way that Bones will discover Vincent's sabotage of the rope. Vincent tells him that it is unlikely. Elsewhere on the ship, Dooley tells Mr. Scott he thinks he sees something moving out in the marsh. Scott tells him to keep an eye on it. That night, Vane and his men board the ship, surprising the crew. Joshua, Randall and over 20 others are killed, while Billy Bones, De Groot, Joji, Dooley, Muldoon and about 50 others are captured. Silver and Vincent, who evaded capture, cut the forestay of the ship in order to prevent Vane and his men from leaving and killing their captured crew mates at sea. Shortly afterwards, the Boat Captain returns, unaware of what has transpired, and he informs them that Flint was arrested after violating the Governor's trust, and the pirates are given until the conclusion of the trial to leave, or their ship will be seized or sunk. Vane, realizing that Flint's body swinging over Charles Town is a statement Nassau cannot afford to be made, resolves to rescue him[5].

In the harbor, Vane departs with half of his men, leaving the half that think the plan is a bad idea under the command of Jenks, his quartermaster. Before he leaves, he warns Jenks that if they try to escape with a skeleton crew, they will be pursued by the Charles Town Fleet, and they will be caught.

In town, Governor Ashe sends his daughter to a friend in Savannah, wishing to spare her the ugliness of the trial. Meanwhile, Flint is shackled on a dais in the square while the Town Crier announces the upcoming trial while Lord Ashe approaches his former friend. Ashe explains that Vice Admiral Lord Kensington is determined to gain the greatest possible exposure for the trial and to make it a spectacle. Ashe offers to have Flint's sentence carried out quietly and Miranda respectfully interred if he confesses. Flint refuses, and asks if Ashe really betrayed his friends for a bribe, or because Ashe was too weak to say no and too cowardly to do the harder thing and resist the Earl. He asks Ashe to tell him it was the latter, because he could forgive cowardice. Ashe can only stare in shamed silence, and Flint says he supposes he has his answer. The Town Crier then directs the crowd to Miranda's body, which has been put on display, and calls her Flint's minion who tried to help kill Ashe. The crowd then begins throwing rotten vegetables at her body.

When the trial begins, Vice Admiral Lord Kensington produces affidavits given by sailors of ships Flint has attacked, testimonials of widows and orphans rendered into that state by his actions, and insurance petitions for the loss or destruction of property caused by Flint. Kensington accuses Flint of having wreaked untold havoc throughout the New World and clawing at the very fabric of civilization. Kensington gives him the opportunity to deny these charges or repent. Kensington tries to get Flint to respond to the allegations, but Flint remains in a sullen silence. Kensington tells the crowd that the crimes are so vile even the perpetrator is struck dumb when given the chance to speak in his won defense. Flint finally speaks up, telling them he has one regret; his regret is coming to Charles Town thinking reason could be a bridge between them and reconciliation could be found. He says everyone is a monster to someone, and he is content to be there’s.

A militia guard then walks into the square with Charles Vane in tow, announcing who he is. He tells them that Vane turned himself in. Vane then says that he is here to offer testimony in defense of Captain Flint. Ashe scoffs at the idea of Vane as a credible character witness, but Vane clarifies that he isn’t offering testimony, he is offering Abigail Ashe’s, producing her diary. Meanwhile, Vane's men assault the militiamen guarding the Battery, and take over and barricade several portions of it.

While a clerk is reading the diary, Vane stands up and announces that he wishes to speak on behalf of the defendant. Kensington orders him to sit down, but Vane continues speaking. He says that men like Kensington have convinced the people of Charles Town that they speak for them, that the power they are given is used in their interests, that the prisoner before them is their enemy. Vane says that for the people who live to see tomorrow, they should know that they had a chance to see the truth but let themselves be convinced otherwise. Throughout the speech, Kensington futilely attempts to shout Vane down. He tries to order Vane removed from the dais. but Vane raises his arms, giving the signal for his men on the Battery’s walls to open fire on the square.

Chaos ensues as Vane's men continue to fire on the square. Flint catches Lord Ashe trying to flee and kills his guards and then stabs him in the stomach, leaving him to slowly die as he watches his city destroyed around him. Vane's men on the city walls also begin firing on the Charles Town Fleet. Meanwhile, Billy and his men are able to retake the ship from Vane's men, who had attempted to mutiny and flee. Billy directs the gun crews to sink the scrambling fleet. Flint, Vane and their men retreat under the cover of the Man O' War's fire. Once aboard, Flint orders them to level whatever is left of the city[6].

Season Three

In the months since the Sack of Charles Town, Captain Flint proclaims that any magistrate in the New World who hangs men for piracy will be visited by him. He then sacks and kills the magistrates of Bridgetown, St. Kitts, Nevis, Martinique and eventually Bath[7].

As the Walrus sails through a tempest, John Silver and Muldoon plug the holes in the hold. As Silver struggles due to his prosthetic leg, Muldoon admonishes him for not letting the crew take care of him, reminding him that if it wasn't for Silver's actions, they would all be at the bottom of the Charles Town bay. As they sail to Nassau, Eleanor Guthrie explains to the new Governor of New Providence Island, Woodes Rogers, why he should exclude Charles Vane from the universal Royal Pardon. She explains that she knows all the players in Nassau far better than him. She warns him that she underestimated Vane and he killed her father, and Lord Governor Ashe underestimated him and Charles Town burned. In Nassau, Vane reunites with his old mentor, Edward Teach. As they walk around town, Teach points out the Spanish Man O' War, which now serves as a floating battery in the harbor, and asks if that was the ship Flint used to sack Charles Town[8].

After proclaiming his return to New Providence Island, Flint parleys with Governor Rogers on the beach. Rogers, knowing of Flint's past efforts to secure pardons for the pirates, asks why he is still fighting. Flint replies that Lord Thomas Hamilton sought to use the pardons to make a point and make England better, and he was killed for it. He and Miranda went to Charles Town to make peace with England, and she was killed for it. Now, Flint is done trying to make peace with England[9].

Season Four

As Silver watches the Walrus burn, he recalls a moment from a few weeks before the Invasion of Nassau. There, he told Madi that Flint is not invested in him out of utility, necessity or dependency. He understands that she fears a false motive, but it is clear to Silver that he has earned Flint's respect. And after all the tragedies Flint has suffered, Silver has earned his trust and friendship, and pledges that Flint will have his, and as long as that is true, he cannot imagine what is possible[10].

Economy, in context

By the mid-eighteenth century, Charles Town was the hub of the Atlantic trade of Britain's southern colonies. Its customs processed around 40% of the African slaves brought to North America between 1700 and 1775. The plantations and the economy based on them made it the wealthiest city in the Thirteen Colonies, and the largest south of Philadelphia.

Quotes

"Charles Town, ma'am, is not London. It may appear to you to be a civilized place, but rest assured, it only appears that way."Richard Guthrie to Miranda Barlow in XV.

Gallery

Trivia

  • In Black Sails, Charles Town is the capital of the colony simply referred to as "Carolina", or "Carolina Colony" despite the fact that its division into two separate North and South colonies was complete by 1712.
  • Founded as Charles Town in 1670, the town's name began to be generally written Charlestown, from 1719. It adopted its present spelling, Charleston, with its incorporation as a city in 1783 at the close of the Revolutionary War. Thus, for the period with which the Black Sails series is concerned, the town should be referred to as Charles Town.

Appearances

References

External Links

Advertisement