Peter Salem, an emancipated Black man who fought as a minuteman, is credited with a significant role in the Battle of Bunker Hill and later served in multiple campaigns during the Revolutionary War.

Though his Quaker faith precluded him from taking up arms, Lushington made the decision to join the Patriot cause and fight against the British during the American Revolution. Largely an outsider, joining the army may have been a means for Lushington to gain further acceptance within Charleston's social elite.

Disguised as a man, Sampson served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, enduring injuries and maintaining her secret identity until 1783, and later became a public figure advocating for veterans' pensions.

On June 28, 1776, the British attacked Sullivan’s Island. Against impossible odds and outnumbered 2,200 British troops to 435 soldiers within the fort, Moultrie successfully prevented land and sea invasions of Charleston. The British retreated to New York and would not return to South Carolina until 1780.