illustration of a man from American Colonial era

The Liberty Trail History Makers

Join us in discovering the individuals who shaped the Revolutionary War along The Liberty Trail. 

States of Interest:
Biography

Regarded as the first martyr of the American Revolution, Crispus Attucks was the first to fall in the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. Of African and Native American descent, he became a powerful...

Biography

Katy Barry, born Margaret Catherine Moore, played a crucial role as a messenger and spy for the American troops, earning her the title "Heroine of the Battle of Cowpens," and her legacy is preserved...

Biography

John Broddy, an enslaved aide to Colonel William Campbell during the American Revolution, fought alongside Campbell at Kings Mountain and was later emancipated in 1793 for his loyal service, living...

Biography

Commander of a Virginia unit during the American Revolution, Abraham Buford saw his troops massacred by Banastre Tarleton and his British Legion at the Battle of Waxhaws in South Carolina.

Exploring 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
Enoree, SC

British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton pushed up the Enoree River hot on the trail of Patriot Brigadier General Thomas Sumter.

National Park | Historic House
Concord, MA

Major John Buttrick, whose name is now the sake of this homestead, was a fourth generation American whose great-grandfather, William Buttrick, helped establish Concord in 1635. During and after the war, John Buttrick held positions in the military and upheld civic posts during the early days of the American Republic.

Battlefield |
Chesapeake, VA

The primary approach to Norfolk, Virginia, was over Great Bridge, which spanned the Elizabeth River. On the morning of December 9, 1775, British soldiers attacked Patriot forces near the bridge in an attempt to seize the bridge and run off the rebels.

Battlefield | National Park
Gaffney, SC

The Cowpens Battlefield commemorates Daniel Morgan’s victory over Banastre Tarleton on January 17, 1781.

State/County Park
Santee, SC

Santee State Park offers biking and hiking trails and pontoon boat tours of the flooded cypress forest on Lake Marion, named after Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox”.

Historic Site
Abingdon, VA

The Abingdon Muster Grounds is a 9-acre park is the site where, in 1780, 400 Virginians joined other patriot militia from the western frontier in a two-week campaign that ended with a critical victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain. The Abingdon Muster Grounds is a partner site of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.

Historic Site | State/County Park
Barnegat, NJ

On December 27, 1782, Patriot forces under Captain Richard Shreve and Captain Edward Thomas were surprised at a tavern by Loyalist raider Captain John Bacon, igniting a sharp skirmish. Though the militia gained the advantage, aid from local Loyalists allowed the wounded Bacon to escape, leaving casualties on both sides and marking what is believed to be the last land engagement of the American Revolution.

National Park | Historic Site
Huger, SC

The Francis Marion is a forest literally steeped in history. Marion, dubbed the “Swamp Fox” by the British troops whose supply lines he disrupted with surprise attacks from the swamps.

Historic Site | Historic House
South Bound Brook, NJ

Constructed in the early 1740s, this home acted as the headquarters of Baron Von Steuben during the Continental Army's cantonment in 1779. Today, it stands as one of the few remaining Dutch structures in central New Jersey.

Historic Site | Historic House
Charleston, SC

This historic house museum was the home of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of four South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Battlefield |
Burlington, NC

Patriot forces under Andrew Pickens and "Light Horse Harry" successfully rout British forces in Alamance County following Cornwallis' failed attempt to catch Nathanael Greene during the "Race to the Dan"

Historic Site | State/County Park
Boston, MA

Once the training ground for British troops in Boston, it was from here that Regulars marched toward Lexington & Concord, sparking the American Revolution.