The Liberty Trail History Makers

Waiting on British troops to arrive on the morning of April 19, militia members used this tavern to wait for their arrival before assembling on the field of battle and sparking the American Revolution

Historic home of Baron Von Steuben, Drillmaster of the American Revolution.

During the Revolutionary War in 1781, Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson fled to Poplar Forest from Monticello to evade capture from British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton.

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.

Once a thriving commercial hub, Bethabara was home to a Moravian settlement in Winston-Salem that witnessed the French and Indian War, the Regulator War, and the American Revolution.

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.

The Fraunces Tavern Museum is Manhattan’s oldest building and the site of meetings of the Sons of Liberty.

In the final days of the Revolutionary War, Rockingham became General George Washington’s last wartime headquarters, where he penned his Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States. As he prepared to step away from military command, news arrived that the Treaty of Paris had been signed, securing America’s independence.

At the Battle of Harlem Heights, American forces rallied after earlier defeats and struck back against advancing British troops on northern Manhattan. The clash restored much-needed confidence to the Continental Army and proved the Patriots could stand against Britain’s professional soldiers.

Marion Square, named in honor of Francis Marion, is greenspace in downtown Charleston, South Carolina and features remnants of The Hornwork, a large fortification built in 1758 that played a major role in the fight for independence.

Built in 1767, the Chowan County Courthouse is one of the oldest operating courthouses in the country and still serves the North Carolina Supreme Court to this day.

At the Battle of Stone Arabia, Patriot militia under John Brown made a desperate stand against a swift raid led by Sir John Johnson. Though Brown was killed and the raiders escaped, the clash galvanized local resistance.