Originally destroyed by a fire in 1798, this faithful reconstruction stands on the former site of the Palace and offers an 18th century interpretive...
Liberty Trail History Makers
The Revolutionary War was a war unlike any other — one of ideas and ideals, that shaped “the course of human events. Explore the history and personalities from this pivotal time in American history.
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 at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16, 1780.
A career soldier loyal to the Crown, Donald MacDonald fought at Culloden before crossing the Atlantic to rally Scottish Highlanders for Britain during the American Revolution. His effort was cut short when he was captured after the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge and held by Patriot forces for more than a year.
Frontier surveyor turned Patriot officer, William Lenoir carried the Revolution into North Carolina’s backcountry—fighting at Kings Mountain, surviving the chaos of Pyle’s Massacre, and emerging from war as one of Wilkes County’s most enduring civic leaders.
A highly influential militia general from the Upcountry of South Carolina, Pickens waged successful campaigns against Loyalists and their Cherokee allies throughout the state.
Home to a Loyalist sympathizer, the Burgwin-Wright House stands as one of the oldest structures in Wilmington. In 1781, the likes of Cornwallis and his officers inhabited the home for a brief period.
North Carolina's first official town and port of entry, Bath served as an early hub of trade and development during the Colonial period.
Now the site of one of the last Scottish broadsword charges in history, nearly 1,000 North Carolina Patriots faced off against well-trained Highlanders in the first significant victory for the Patriots in the Revolution
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"
Also known as the Alston House, the House in the Horseshoe served as a Patriot outpost where a four hour skirmish took place on July 29, 1781.
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 Battle of Alamance site marks the 1771 clash between royal militia and Regulator rebels, often called the last battle of the colonial period. Visitors can explore monuments and exhibits interpreting this early struggle over authority in the Carolina backcountry.
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.
Built in 1792 by Revolutionary War officer William Lenoir, Fort Defiance preserves the homestead that rose near the site of an earlier frontier fort and reflects the legacy of one family for nearly two centuries.
The site of a former colonial port that thrived throughout the mid-18th century, most of the town was reportedly burned down by the British in 1776