The 'Southern Charm' Cast Has Cool Historical Ties

The cast of Southern Charm are a little different than the rest of the Bravo family. Not only are they representing a very particular version of the South, one that's filled with old money and lots of cocktails, but there are also quite a few connections to U.S. history in the Southern Charm cast. From truly important pieces of national history to pieces of interesting local Charleston trivia, this cast is tied to lots of other famous people. Basically, they're a group of descendants of American history.

Given that the show is set in moneyed Charleston circles and features a group of 20-and 30-somethings who are almost all still struggling to get their careers, families, and lives started, rather than a bunch of self-made success stories, most of these cast members grew up wealthy and can trace their family lineage back for generations. It's simply a quirk of how Bravo decided to cast the show. So, even for those who don't have super-famous relatives or other connections to famous history, they all have major ties to the city where the show is set. And, given that South Carolina is one of the original 13 colonies, there's plenty of real history among this cast.

7. Craig Conover

It's actually Craig Conover who gets the honor of being the Southern Charm cast members who has the flimsiest connection to American history. According to Slice, Craig's mother, father, and brother were all renowned college athletes, and as a reality star, Craig is raising the profile of his name, but compared to some of the other members of the cast, he doesn't have much of a tie to history. And, his Bravo bio revealed that he's not even from South Carolina. Sorry, Craig.

6. Landon Clements

Landon has some famous connections, but not so much when it comes to U.S. history. According to The Daily Mail, Her ex-husband, James Maby, was once married to actress Stacey Dash. But, while I love Clueless, I don't think it qualifies as a major piece of American history. Definitely an interesting fact, but not quite as heavy as some of the connections her co-stars can boast.

5. Cameran Eubanks

According to NJ.com Cameran's family has been in South Carolina for 10 generations, but there's not much more to her family history than that — she's probably the biggest star in her family. So, just like her persona on the show, Cameran's family is the normal, calm alternative to her costars' more surprising stories. But her family having lived in SC for so long establishes her as well-connected, in my opinion

4. Shep Rose

Shep's family name is a piece of U.S. history — the state dog of South Carolina is named the "Boykin Spaniel" after his family, according to The Post and Courier. So, when it comes to memorable state facts, Shep has the cast beat. And Shep is directly related to local politician B. Boykin Rose, a onetime South Carolina Department of Public Safety director, according to Hilton Head Monthly.

3. Whitney Sudler-Smith

Whitney's mother, Patricia Altschul, is not only the most fabulous woman on Bravo and on Earth, but also happens to live in a piece of national history. In 2008, The Post and Courier reported that Patricia bought the Mikell House, an estate that was built in 1851 by Isaac Jenkins Mikell, according to the newspaper. And, Pat's late husband, Arthur Altschul, is descended from the original Lehman Brothers, according to The New York Times.

2. Thomas Ravenel

The Ravenel family is a major part of Charleston society, both historically and recently. Thomas was the state treasurer, and his father, Arthur Ravenel, was also a politician so beloved that a bridge was named after him.

1. Kathryn Calhoun Dennis

According to her Bravo bio, Kathryn is the descendant of famous US politician John C. Calhoun, a longtime South Carolina senator, vice president, and one of the politicians who was instrumental in the the War of 1812. That's definitely the biggest historical connection in this group.

And, on the Dennis side, her Bravo bio states that Kathryn is related to Rembert C. Dennis, a Democratic senator. Two big political figures and a relationship with Thomas (who, as you'll see below, has some famous connections himself)? Kathryn is by far the most connected member of the Southern Charm cast.

Image: Mathieu Young/Robert Ascroft, Paul Cheney/Bravo