By: Sarah Savage

After reading the potential museum options for this blog post assignment, I found myself gravitating towards the Old Exchange and Provost’s Dungeon. I can’t explain why I chose this one really, perhaps because I had never heard of it before, or maybe even because the word “dungeon” piqued my interest. Either way, I made my decision, and punched 122 East Bay Street into my GPS and I was on my way. When Siri informed me that I had arrived at my destination, I was surprised to discover that I was actually familiar with the building that was the Old Exchange. I had passed by it several times in the four years that I have lived in Charleston, but never knew what it was. The building had always intrigued me, but it is right smack dab in the middle of tourist central, so I suppose that’s why I never investigated further. Once I walked up the grand steps, I was greeted by a man in an authentic colonial costume. I thought to myself, “Damn, I like this place already.” Once inside, my spirits were once again lifted when I spoke to the lovely elderly lady behind the counter (also dressed in colonial garb) and she informed me that there was a student discount. Score! Once I started walking around the museum, I couldn’t help but think to myself that there was a lot of open or empty space that was not being utilized. Maybe this was just an OCD observation, but I felt as though there was so much more room for other displays. There were several portraits on the walls, including descriptions which I enjoyed reading. Additionally, I loved the fact that the museum’s artifacts and displays were tailored around Charleston itself. We were given pictures of Washington in Charleston, as well as a brief biography of Francis Marion. Perhaps the most interesting display that I came across in the entire museum was the one that described the lives of women during the eighteenth century. Don’t get me wrong, battle history is always interesting, as well as the words of Jefferson and Franklin, but what about the women? There are unfortunately not many women who rose to notable status during this time, because someone had to be at home making dinner and raising the children. And I think that the part that women played in this time period is just as historically important as any other aspect of the American Revolution. The two displays were titled “Women in Public Life” and “Private and Family Life”. I found this display both intriguing as well as important because it is so often overlooked. The first sentence really set the tone for me: “Women’s lives within the public realm were heavily regulated both culturally and legally.” I was so interested in this text because it showed that women really did not have any shred of agency. I was shocked, however, to discover that the state of South Carolina “had one of the highest rates of female property ownership in the colonies.” I can’t say that I expected this from the state of South Carolina, but I am certainly impressed nonetheless. My favorite part of this display, however, were the words of colonial women taken from their own journals. These women relay their stresses and fatigues with their personal and privatized lives, and these quotes make for an excellent primary source.