On August 31, 1886 CE, a devastating earthquake, estimated at magnitude 6.9-7.3, struck the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The quake caused widespread destruction, killed 60 people, and was felt over a vast area. This was one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit the eastern United States and remains a significant event in American seismic history.

The 1886 Charleston earthquake was the subject of numerous contemporary accounts and became a significant event in American literature. The disaster inspired poems and prose that described the horror and the resilience of the survivors. The earthquake is a notable example in the literature of the American South, where it is used to explore themes of destruction, faith, and the power of nature.