When Union troops landed on Hilton Head Island in 1862, across the sound from St . Helena, they seized control of the nearby islands and the plantation owners fled. By this time the slaves were unofficially freed, about a year before the Emancipation Proclamation. Descendants of those slaves, known as the Gullah, still live a simple rural life on St. Helena. They subscribe to high religion, and keep their heritage alive through storytelling in the native tongue of Gullah, a Creole blend of English and West African languages.
Chefs maintain the flavors of Africa, as well.
The Gullah still live on St. Helena Island. Former slaves were educated in the Penn School. In recent years the Gullah lifestyle has been threatened by developers eager to build high-priced resorts and golf courses on the Sea Islands, and further pollute the waterways. In response to this threat, the Sea Island Preservation Project was started in 1992. The goal is to educate and train community leaders and landowners so they can preserve their land and culture, while developing compatible income-producing activities.