History Buffs

Andrew Ferguson: A Free Black Patriot Who Refused to Surrender

Jul 02, 2026 / madden

Andrew Ferguson: A Free Black Patriot Who Refused to Surrender By Charity MuhammadEducator, Public Historian, and Preservation Advocate Too often, when people talk about the American Revolution, Black people are left out of the story-as if we were not there, as if we were not fighting, surviving, resisting, building, and making impossible decisions in a country debating freedom while denying it to so many. But stories like Andrew Ferguson’s remind us that Black history is American history. More

Peter Harris: The Only Catawba Regular of the Continental Army

/ madden

Peter Harris: The Only Catawba Regular of the Continental Army Written by: Ensley F. GuffeyArchivist, Catawba Nation Peter Harris was born around 1756 in the heart of the traditional homeland of the Catawba people, alongside the Catawba River in modern York and Lancaster Counties, South Carolina. More

Martha Bratton: Igniting the Spirit of American Freedom and Defying the British

/ madden

Martha Bratton: Igniting the Spirit of American Freedom and Defying the British In the summer of 1780, what became known as the American Revolutionary War, was ravaging the Carolina backcountry as British troops seized food and horses from Patriot farms and sought to capture Patriot leaders. Families in what is now York County, South Carolina watched smoke rise from distant fields as it seemed that liberty itself was slipping away. More

Step Into the Revolution: Celebrate SC250 in the Olde English District

Jun 17, 2026 / sierra

The Olde English District is commemorating America’s 250th anniversary through a shared mission: highlighting real stories, real people, and the places where history actually happened. Across Chester, Chesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Union, and York counties, communities are bringing the Revolutionary era to life through immersive programs, living history events, lectures, performances, and celebrations that connect the past to the present. More

Explore Historic Brattonsville

Jun 12, 2026 / madden

Explore Historic Brattonsville: The Patriot Victory That Sparked Backcountry Resistance The Revolutionary War Victory That Inspired the Carolina Backcountry Historic Brattonsville preserves one of the most important Revolutionary War sites in South Carolina’s Olde English District: the Battle of Huck’s Defeat. Fought on July 12, 1780, Huck’s Defeat marked an important Patriot victory during a difficult period of the Southern Campaign. More

See Blackstock’s Battlefield

/ madden

See Blackstock's Battlefield: Where Thomas Sumter Outmaneuvered the British A Revolutionary War Turning Point in the South Carolina Backcountry Battle of Blackstock’s State Historic Site preserves the location of an important Patriot victory during the Revolutionary War’s Southern Campaign. Located in Union County along the Tyger River, the battlefield marks the site where General Thomas Sumter and Patriot militia forces successfully defended against British troops under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton on November 20, 1780. More

Enjoy Landsford Canal State Park

/ madden

Enjoy Landsford Canal State Park: History, Nature and a Revolutionary River Crossing Where History and Nature Meet Along the Catawba River Landsford Canal State Park offers one of the most unique outdoor and historic experiences in South Carolina’s Olde English District. Located along the Catawba River in Chester County, the park combines early transportation history, scenic river views and one of the largest populations of rocky shoals spider lilies in the world. More

Tour Andrew Jackson State Park

/ madden

Tour Andrew Jackson State Park: Exploring the Revolutionary Roots of a Future President Exploring the Waxhaws Through Andrew Jackson’s Story Andrew Jackson State Park offers visitors a chance to experience the Revolutionary-era history of the Waxhaws region through the story of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States. Located in Lancaster County, the park preserves the landscape and stories connected to Jackson’s childhood and the challenges faced by backcountry communities during the American Revolution. More