The Liberty Trail History Makers

Monticello, “Little Mountain,” was the home from 1770 until his death in 1826, of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States. Jefferson was one of America’s first and finest architects and he created, rebuilt, and revised the house throughout his long life.

Completed in 1771, the Old Exchange Building is a Charleston landmark and the site of some of the most important events in South Carolina history. Over the last two and a half centuries, the building has been a commercial exchange, custom house, post office, city hall, military headquarters, and museum.

Yorktown was George Washington's decisive victory over General Lord Charles Cornwallis. Learn about the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War.

One of the final battles of the Southern Campaign, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse cemented the British path to final defeat at the Battle of Yorktown.

The plantation & gardens bears witness to 350 years of American history. Learn about the Europeans who colonized South Carolina, and the enslaved people who worked in the rice fields and gardens.

This home, now known as the "John Quincy Adams Birthplace," was John and Abigail Adams' residence during the Revolutionary War. While John served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Abigail managed this home and served as an advisor to her husband in his public role.

Site where Washington took the first oath of office.

Nestled outside the traditional bounds of the South Carolina colony is the Presbyterian church where Andrew Pickens committed his time as an elder following the Revolution. In the adjacent cemetery lie the graves of several American soldiers who had fought by Pickens' side during the war.

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

In March of 1781, much of the Continental Army was hunting for the traitor, Benedict Arnold. In mid-March, Lafayette was sent south from the Elk River in Maryland with a detachment of troops to...

President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of...

Once owned and operated by Founding Father Patrick Henry, it was while living in this home that Patrick Henry coined the phrase "Give me liberty or give me death!"