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

A veteran of the Seven Years' War--the French & Indian War in North America-- Baum served as a Hessian mercenary under the employ of the British Crown, fighting in the northern theater of the American...

Biography

Sarah Osborn Benjamin experienced the American Revolution from inside the Continental Army’s camps, witnessing hardship, battle, and the victory at Yorktown firsthand. Her remarkable story reveals the...

Biography

Known as Governor Blacksnake and "Chainbreaker," this Seneca leader broke from the Iroquois Confederacy and sided with the British.

Biography

Considered one of the more controversial combatants of the American Revolution, Thayendanegea convinced four tribes of the Haudenosaunee to side with the British.

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
New York, NY

Fought on November 16, 1776, the Battle of Fort Washington marked the collapse of the last American stronghold on Manhattan during the New York Campaign. Surrounded and overwhelmed, the outnumbered garrison was forced into a surrender that dealt a heavy blow to the Continental Army’s position in the region.

Battlefield
Lancaster, SC

On May 29, 1780, British commander Banastre Tarleton engaged and overwhelmed a Patriot force under the command of Abraham Buford in a dreadful defeat for the Patriots.

Historic Site | Historic House
McConnells, SC

Discover the history of the Scots-Irish and African-Americans through preserved buildings and living history experiences of the Brattonsville community.

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 |
Suffolk, VA

Located just south of the Chesapeake Bay, this "uninhabitable" Great Dismal Swamp was home to thousands of Native Americans and Maroons--self-emancipated slaves--throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

Historic Site | Gardens & Grounds
Charleston, SC

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.

Battlefield | Historic Site
Summerton, SC

After an eight-day siege, this strategic outpost fell to the Americans, who used an ingenious structure called Maham’s Tower to fire down into the fort and trap the enemy.

National Park | Battlefield
Concord , MA

The site of the famous "Shot Heard Around the World," the Old North Bridge served as the flashpoint of the American Revolution. To this day, historians debate who fired the first shot, here, which led to the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Historic Site | Fort/Outpost
Charleston, SC

One of the many forts that dotted the landscape around Charleston, Patriots seized this fortification and raised the Moultrie flag, which bears resemblance to the modern standard of South Carolina.

Historic Site
Newburyport, MA

Once an influential shipbuilding center, Newburyport now houses the Custom House Maritime Museum, which interprets the region's naval history.

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.

Battlefield |
Huntersville, NC

In an attempt to stall Cornwallis force, a contingent of Patriots initiated a delaying action which led to the death of General William Davidson