An Historical Account of the Rise and Progress of the Colonies of South Carolina and Georgia, Volume 1

This is history from inside the colony, not about it. Alexander Hewatt wrote from direct experience: he lived in Charlestown, gathered original documents, and observed the society he documented. Published in the late eighteenth century, this volume offers an account of South Carolina and Georgia's formative decades that feels immediate rather than retrospective. Hewatt traces the southern colonies from their European origins through early settlement, examining the economic ambitions, governance structures, and complex relationships with Indigenous peoples that defined this region. He addresses the practical difficulties of establishing frontier communities and the intricate social hierarchies that emerged. The work serves as a valuable primary source, providing a provincial perspective on the forces that would eventually reshape an empire.