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

Despite the prominent role Cornwallis played in the Revolution, Henry Clinton was blamed for the loss of the American colonies following the surrender at Yorktown.

Biography

In 1779, after a stalemate in the north, Cornwallis went south as second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton captured Charleston in May 1780. Cornwallis pressed on to defeat General Horatio Gates...

Biography

Captain Isaac Davis, a Massachusetts Minuteman leader, was the first American officer killed in the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Concord on April 19, 1775.

Biography

Overshadowed by Paul Revere famous midnight ride, Dawes also rode through the night on April 18, 1775, warning of the British march to Concord. He escaped capture and later served in the Revolutionary...

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.
Historic Site | Fort/Outpost
Middletown, RI
Site of Green End Fort Historical Marker Database Green End Fort in Middletown, Rhode Island, is one of the most intact surviving Revolutionary War earthworks on Aquidneck Island, significant for its...
Battlefield | National Park
Sullivan's Island, SC

The Battle of Sullivan’s Island, fought near the site of today’s Fort Moultrie in June 1776, was the first significant Patriot victory of the Revolutionary War.

Historic Site | Historic House
Camden, SC

After the Siege of Charleston in 1780, the British established a headquarters at the Kershaw/Cornwallis House. Today the house and grounds are open to tours.

Historic Site
Gaffney, SC

James Henderson Williams, a South Carolina militia colonel and Patriot leader, was killed at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780 and is commemorated here, where his remains were later reinterred and a memorial erected in his honor.

Historic Site |
Elizabeth, NJ
St. John's Episcopal Church, Elizabeth, NJ Forgotten Victory Trail Jonathan Dayton, a soldier of the New Jersey Line and later a signer of the Constitution, is buried at Saint John’s. His father...
Historic Site | Fort/Outpost
Bedminister, NJ

Nestled in the sloping mountains of New Jersey, the birthplace of American military academies can be found. Initially a part of a winter encampment, it became the proving grounds for Patriot artillerists.

Historic Site
Tiverton, RI
General Lafayette Marker, Tiverton, RI The Lafayette Trail During the Battle of Rhode Island, which took place on August 29th, 1778, General Lafayette had been sent north to Boston, Massachusetts, to...
Historic Site |
Morristown, NJ

The Arnold Tavern, constructed in the mid-18th century, served as Washington's headquarters from January - May 1777

Historic Site | Historic House
Clemson, SC

Located near the famous Treaty of Hopewell site, the Hopewell Plantation house was the Pickens' family home and later served as the South Carolina Governor's Mansion.

Historic Site
Clermont, NY
Lafayette Tour Marker, Germantown, NY The Lafayette Trail President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in...
Historic Site | Museum
Newport, RI
The Artillery Company of Newport Museum Kenneth C. Zirkel The Artillery Company of Newport Museum preserves the history of one of America’s oldest military units, established in 1741 under King George...
Battlefield
Enoree, SC

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