Warning: Undefined variable $num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 126
Warning: Undefined variable $posts_num in /home/shroutdo/public_html/courses/wp-content/plugins/single-categories/single_categories.php on line 127
Sarah Walters
Disasters in the Gilded Age
Final Project Proposal
February 21, 2014
Shaking Stone, Support, and Sickness: The 1886 Charleston Earthquake
For my final paper, I would like to focus on the 1886 Charleston Earthquake. I’m interested in the topic because I have always lived in the South, Charleston is probably one of my favorite cities, and many Gilded Age disasters seem to be somewhat concentrated in the North and Midwest rather than the South. I also find the disaster compelling because it seemed so unexpected. In contrast with the Peshtigo and Chicago fires, where small fires had been cropping up constantly, Charleston did not necessarily expect an earthquake. Already troubled by Reconstruction, economic troubles, and a hurricane the previous year, Charleston was hit by an earthquake of a magnitude between 6.6 and 7.3 on the Richter scale in 1886. It was one of the most severe earthquakes to ever hit the southeastern United States. Previously, Charleston had experienced very little seismic activity. The earthquake seemed to be rather unexpected.
How did the structure and architecture of Charleston affect the amount of damage in the 1886 earthquake? From preliminary research, it seems like the amount of stone and brick buildings in Charleston created more damage; wooden buildings were more likely to sway with the earth. I found this to be an interesting contrast with the Great Chicago fire and all the wooden structures that increased the amount of damage. For this question, I might look at photographs of the disaster, tallies of the extent and location of damage, and perhaps personal letters describing the aftermath of the earthquake.
How did Charleston recover from the damage—specifically, where did support come from and why? I could consider state and federal records to see if government support was sent. I might also look at newspapers to see how widespread the coverage of the earthquake was and the amount of response. From my initial research, it appears like most of Charleston’s financial support came from private sources. Yet even without state and federal support, many sources suggested Charleston made a rapid recovery. Sometimes it appeared the city repaired itself more quickly than other disaster-stricken areas that did receive government support.
Finally a man named Ezekiel Stone Wiggins predicted that a disaster even more destructive than the Charleston earthquake would occur. His prophecy caused some Americans to panic and a few newspapers published his sensationalist ideas to grab attention. Other newspapers, however, decried Wiggins as a fool and made fun of his predictions. The expected disaster never arrived, but Wiggins highlights some of the fear and irrationality behind disasters. How did the Charleston earthquake psychologically affect people? I might look at newspaper articles on Wiggins or perhaps his own writings. I could also look at personal letters detailing people’s emotional response to the event. I have also found doctors’ reports of nausea, headaches, losing hair, and increased use of sedatives among earthquake survivors.
Update: I’ll be focusing my research on the last question.