I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 332

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain sites in the historic 

district of Beaufort, South Carolina, relating to the Reconstruction Era 

to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area 

as a unit of the National Park System. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2003

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to study certain 

sites in the historic district of Beaufort, South Carolina, 

relating to the Reconstruction Era to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as 

a unit of the National Park System.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Reconstruc5 tion Study Area Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 
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1 (1) The Reconstruction Era, during which Con2 gress adopted the 13th amendment ending slavery, 

3 the 14th amendment guaranteeing civil rights, and 

4 the 15th amendment guaranteeing voting rights to 

5 all citizens of the United States, saw the occurrence 

6 of a transforming series of events in the history of 

7 the United States. 

8 (2) Beaufort, South Carolina, and the sur9 rounding sea islands—

10 (A) contain significant historical and ar11 chaeological sites associated with the Recon12 struction Era; and 

13 (B) offer a unique opportunity for pre14 serving and interpreting the Reconstruction 

15 Era. 

16 (3) The first African-Americans to hear the 

17 reading of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Procla18 mation assembled on January 1, 1863, at the Old 

19 Fort Plantation on the Beaufort River in the State 

20 of South Carolina. 

21 (4) The Penn School, a national historic land22 mark located on St. Helena Island, South Caro23 lina—
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1 (A) was the first educational experiment of 

2 the Reconstruction Era and the eventual end of 

3 chattel slavery; and 

4 (B) remains 1 of the most significant Afri5 can-American cultural and educational institu6 tions in the United States. 

7 (5) The Freedmen’s Bureau, located in the re8 stored Beaufort College, served as the chief policy 

9 arm of the Federal Government for matters related 

10 to emancipated slaves during the Reconstruction 

11 Era. 

12 (6) Beaufort County, South Carolina, and the 

13 surrounding sea islands have many other noteworthy 

14 historic buildings and archaeological sites, includ15 ing—

16 (A) buildings and sites associated with 

17 Robert Smalls, a former slave who—

18 (i) became a hero to the Union cause 

19 when he and several slaves seized control 

20 of the armed Confederate ship on which 

21 they served and then turned the ship over 

22 to the Union navy; and 

23 (ii) represented the State of South 

24 Carolina in the House of Representatives 

25 during the Reconstruction Era; 
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1 (B) the first Freedmen’s Village of 

2 Mitchellville on Hilton Head Island, South 

3 Carolina; 

4 (C) Camp Sexton, the site of the first Afri5 can-American regiment mustered in the United 

6 States Army; and 

7 (D) Penn School and Beaufort College. 

8 (7) The National Park System does not have a 

9 park or historic site that focuses primarily on the 

10 preservation and interpretation of the Reconstruc11 tion Era. 

12 (8) The Reconstruction Era was a period of 

13 deep cultural, political, and economic division in the 

14 United States, and it is necessary to better under15 stand this complex period of history and the con16 tinuing impact of this period on the United States. 

17 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

18 In this Act: 

19 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di21 rector of the National Park Service. 

22 (2) STUDY AREA.—

23 (A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

24 means the area comprised of historical sites in 
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1 the historic district of Beaufort, South Caro2 lina, relating to the Reconstruction Era. 

3 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

4 includes the following: 

5 (i) The Penn School. 

6 (ii) The Old Fort Plantation on the 

7 Beaufort River. 

8 (iii) The Freedmen’s Bureau in Beau9 fort College. 

10 (iv) The First Freedmen’s Village of 

11 Mitchellville on Hilton Head Island. 

12 (v) Various historic buildings and ar13 chaeological sites associated with Robert 

14 Smalls. 

15 (vi) The Beaufort Arsenal. 

16 (vii) other significant sites relating to 

17 the Reconstruction Era. 

18 SEC. 4. STUDY. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall complete a 

20 study of the study area to assess the suitability and feasi21 bility of designating the study area as a unit of the Na22 tional Park System. 

23 (b) APPLICABLE LAW.—The study required under 

24 subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with Pub25 lic Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 et seq.). 
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1 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

2 As soon as practicable after the study under section 

3 4 is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the Com4 mittee on Resources of the House of Representatives and 

5 the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

6 Senate a report that describes the findings of the study 

7 and any conclusions and recommendations of the Sec8 retary.

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