This presentation will review the origins of South Carolina’s break with England, its key leaders on both the Patriot and Loyalist sides, and how the events transpired to the fall of Charleston in May 1780. This topic can be refocused on single campaign and battles in the state, such as the Battle of Camden and … Read more
James Madison (1751-1836), Father of the U.S. Constitution and Fourth President, and his wife Dolley Payne Todd Madison (1768-1849), had a remarkable partnership. This lecture demonstrates how their complementary skills and abilities created the paradigm of the married couple that we still associate with a President and First Lady.
Author of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, governor of Virginia, first Secretary of State, third President, and founder of the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson was all these things and more. This lecture will look at Jefferson’s life and career through the lens of Monticello, his plantation home in … Read more
How did artists depict the American Revolution while it was happening and shortly after independence was won? What visual knowledge was available to newly minted Americans about the war and its heroes? How was the war remembered fifty and seventy-five years later, as the nation headed towards Civil War?
This lecture shows how the story of South Carolina deeply impacted the story of the United States. Using numerous examples from the 16th century onwards, this lecture demonstrates how the actions of South Carolinians and events in South Carolina contributed to the success of the British colonies in North America, the colonial rebellion and the … Read more
“Swamp Fox, Swamp, tail in his hat. Nobody knows where the Swamp Fox’s at.” Sang Marion’s men in a 1959 miniseries produced by Walt Disney. But that is only one of dozens books, films and television productions devoted to the life of Marion since 1805. This takes a look at what these representations got right … Read more
The story of the Irish in the American Revolution has not gotten its proper due. Of the 29 men who represented SC in the Continental and Confederation Congresses, 8 were Irish-Americans, including two signers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. 11% of veterans of the American Revolution from SC who applied for … Read more
Exploring Cherokee culture prior to European settlement is crucial to comprehending their values, gender roles, internal and external relationships, diplomacy, and conflict during this pivotal era in Cherokee history. The audience will learn how Cherokees dealt with European colonization, their relationships with South Carolinians and the British, and how they responded to the American Revolution … Read more
Exploring the worldview of the Cherokees provides insights into the events that occur as colonists of South Carolina begin to discuss grievances with the rule of Great Britain. Experiences in the French and Indian War (1754-63) had affected Cherokee diplomacy and their alliances. As some colonists begin to fight for their independence, some Cherokee leaders … Read more
What role did black people play in the quest for liberty? This presentation and PowerPoints of period artwork, illustrations, and historical documentation addressing the little-known, yet significant impact African Americans made in US history during the period of 1763-1783.
Kate has written four picture books about our state’s history: Palmetto – Symbol of Courage, about the famous Revolutionary War battle that inspired the color and symbols on our beautiful state flag; Francis Marion and the Legend of the Swamp Fox, the story of South Carolina’s most famous Revolutionary War hero; Almost Invisible – Black Patriots of the … Read more
There is much more to the role of South Carolina than just what happened on the battlefield! In this presentation, Aliene Humphries talks about the fascinating but little-known stories of the Revolutionary War’s Southern Campaigns both on and off the battlefield. She has 64 sites included in the timeline of events. This talk correspondings with Aliene’s … Read more
