The Liberty Trail

History Along the Trail

Explore the people and stories of the American Revolutionary War in South Carolina through videos, audio, and biographies. Hear tales of bravery, defeat, and treason from historians and travelers. The Liberty trail offers captivating and inspiring narratives from this transformative chapter of American history.

We invite you to visit the preserved locations along the Liberty Trail and to immerse yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
Battlefield | National Park
Concord, MA

At dawn on April 19, 1775, an unknown shot shattered the silence in Lexington. British Redcoats and colonial militia clashed, leaving blood on the field. In Concord, the patriots struck back, and as the British retreated, gunfire hounded them to Boston, thus sparking the American Revolution

Battlefield
Columbus, NJ

At this bridge, American forces under Colonel Samuel Griffin and foraging parties under Hessian Colonel Carl Ulrich von Donop clashed several times throughout December of 1776.

State/County Park | Historic Site
Washington Crossing, PA

Located on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River, this park commemorates Washington's planning of his famous crossing that re-ignited the spark of liberty.

State/County Park | Historic House
McClellanville, SC

This 18th-century plantation home, on the grounds of the Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, served as a place of refuge for Francis Marion who hid here from when British troops.

Historic Site | Historic House
Bedminister, NJ

The only surviving building associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, America's first military academy, it served as the headquarters of Henry Knox during the Middlebrook encampment of 1778-1779.

Historic Site | Historic House
Mount Vernon, VA

Mount Vernon acted as the former plantation estate of the legendary Revolutionary War general, George Washington. The current estate includes the original mansion, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery and gristmill, plus a museum and education center.

Battlefield
Trenton, NJ

Renowned for Gen. George Washington's daring crossing of the Delaware River on a frigid Christmas night, Trenton marked the start of the Ten Crucial Days—a series of bold victories that reignited hope in the Revolutionary cause.

Historic Site | Museum
Victor, NY

Historic Seneca town featuring a fully reconstructed longhouse and state-of-the-art interpretive museum.

Battlefield
Johnsonville, SC

Known as an extremely important ferry crossing in the Colonial Period, Marion fortified this ferry and frequently utilized it to quickly move his troops to lay ambushes

Historic Site | Historic House
Montross, VA

Stratford Hall was home to four generations of the Lee family including Revolutionary War veteran, Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and the only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence: Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee. S

Battlefield | Fort/Outpost
Ticonderoga, NY

A formidable fortress on the banks of the Hudson and Lake Champlain, this stone bastion was the source of Henry Knox's artillery in the opening years of the Revolution. Today, it's a hallmark of living history with interpreters being found at every corner.

Battlefield | State/County Park
Elmira, NY

At the Battle of Newtown, American forces under John Sullivan crushed Loyalist and Haudenosaunee Confederacy resistance in a decisive campaign of destruction. The victory shattered organized opposition in the region, paving the way for the systematic devastation of Indigenous towns that reshaped the frontier during the war.