Many historians consider the Revolutionary War to have been decided in the swamps, fields, woods and mountains of the South, won by the resilience and determination of Continental soldiers and Patriot militia. Although the full story of the Southern Campaigns is not widely known, the events of 1776-1782 in the Carolinas directly led to an American victory in the war. We call this history The Liberty Trail.
The Liberty Trail is a unified path of preservation and interpretation across South Carolina, telling this remarkable story. These important battlefields, still largely unspoiled, deserve to be preserved. That’s why the American Battlefield Trust has partnered with the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust to accomplish these goals.
Each stop along the driving tour features unique on-site interpretation that connects visitors to the extraordinary events that came to pass nearly 250 years ago. The Liberty Trail honors the Patriots that decided the Revolution’s outcomes in South Carolina.
More than 200 battles and skirmishes occurred in South Carolina during the war. Working with a panel of historians and archaeologists to select the most significant of these actions, we have created the first phase of The Liberty Trail, an innovative driving route designed to connect these battlefields and tell the captivating and inspiring stories of this transformative chapter of American history.
The cornerstone of The Liberty Trail is the preservation of hallowed battlegrounds. Through this initiative, thousands of acres of land will be permanently protected. Today, most of these sites are blank slates — quiet fields and forests waiting to tell their stories.
To date, we have preserved nearly 700-acres at nine battlefield sites in South Carolina: Camden, Eutaw Springs, Fort Fair Lawn and Colleton Castle, Hanging Rock, Hobkirk Hill, Parker’s Ferry, Port Royal Island, Stono Ferry, and Waxhaws.
The Liberty Trail program founders Douglas "Doug" Bostick and Catherine Noyes talk about the program's formation, their connections to South Carolina, and historic site preservation.