Revolution and New Nation

Revolutionary War weaponry used in skirmishes throughout South Carolina. Image courtesy of SCPRT.

Soldiers, leaders, and statesmen from South Carolina were pivotal in our nation’s fight for independence.

Fort Moultrie

Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island was built to protect Charleston. The fort was built with logs from palmetto trees that helped absorb cannon fire, which inspired our state flag.

• Fort Moultrie
• Historic Images of Fort Moultrie

Places

• Old South Carolina Home Places
  Watch the video to learn more about the lives of people who lived at Middleton Place and Rose Hill Plantation.
• Snow’s Island
  See the location of General Francis Marion’s headquarters in Florence County.
  • Marion’s Camp at Snow’s Island
    Read a description of Francis Marion and his camp on Snow’s Island.
• Waxhaw Presbyterian Church
  The wounded from the battle were brought to this historic church.

People

• Francis Marion
  Francis Marion helped fight the British through guerrilla warfare tactics.
• Thomas Sumter
  Thomas Sumter was a distinguished general in the Revolutionary War.
• Isaac Hayne
  Read the story of Isaac Hayne, who was hanged in Charleston as a traitor to the British.
• Bloody Bill Cunningham
  William Cunningham was one of several Loyalists terrorizing the countryside in revenge for Patriot acts against their families.
• Richard Furman
  Richard Furman was a pastor who influenced the development of the Baptist denomination in the South.

Revolutionary War

Image from The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Volume 2 by Benson John Lossing, 1851.

• SCIWAY-The American Revolution
  Need more information on battles, timelines, or people? Find it here.
• Revolutionary War Military Engagements
  Did any Revolutionary battles occur near your home town?
• The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution
  Learn more about the battles that took place in the Southern Colonies.
• Partisans and Redcoats
  Listen to the talk by Professor Walter Edgar as he describes many of the little-known events in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War era.

Battles

• Plan of the Battle Fought Near Camden, 16 August 1780
  This battle map shows where the British and Patriot troops were located at the Battle of Camden.
  • Buford’s Defeat
    Read the history of the defeat of Buford’s regiment, which spurred American resistance in the Carolinas.
• The 1780 Presbyterian Rebellion and the Battle of Huck’s Defeat
  Find out more about the Scots-Irish population in the Back Country and the events that led many to opposition against British authority.
• Battle of Hobkirk's Hill, 1781
  See a map of the forces gathered at the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill near Camden, SC.
• The Battle of Cowpens 
  The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory for the American forces that helped reenergize the Southern Colonies.

Culture

• Travel Journal and Album of Collected Papers of William Tennent III (1740-1777)
  Read the journal of Tennent's trek though the Back Country, at times in the company of William Henry Drayton and Rev. Oliver Hart in an effort to persuade Loyalist “Tories” to join the Patriot cause.
• Revolutionary Fever: Disease and War in the Lower South, 1776–1783
  Summer campaigns in the Lowcountry were dangerous as soldiers suffered from malaria, yellow feature and/or typhus.
• The Price of Freedom 
  Click on War of Independence to watch a movie and see artifacts from the era such as George Washington’s Camp Cup.

Government

• Documents from the Continental Congress & the Constitutional Convention
  Explore historical documents relating to the work of Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. Be sure to check out the useful timelines on the sidebar.
• The Continental Congress 
  The Continental Congress represented the 13 British colonies that were negotiating and fighting for freedom.