56 Bull Street, Charleston, SC 29401
1822
It was near this site (but not in the present building – despite the historical marker giving contrary information) that free person of color Denmark Vesey lived in 1822 when word of an uprising to be led by him reached the ears of the mayor and other city leaders. Vesey and others accused were hanged in July; by the end of the summer the number of the condemned reached 35. Fear of other rebellions, and fear of free people of color who could read and had freedom of movement, led to the passage of numerous new laws restricting the lives of both slave and free African Americans. In the 21st century, the nature of the plot has become an issue of debate and various scholars are re-examining this complex part of our history.