This year, the South Carolina State Library is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War. Known as South Carolina 250 (SC250), this statewide commemoration highlights the people, places, and ideas that shaped South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. Dive deeper into the history of the American Revolution with the State Library’s featured collection of materials on the American Revolutionary War.
Resources
Learn about the rich history of the American Revolution
South Carolina’s Guide to the American Revolutionary War Activity Booklet
This free educational booklet will engage children and families through games, puzzles, and coloring pages that highlight our state’s rich history. Designed for elementary-aged children, the booklet introduces important figures, places, and events that shaped South Carolina during its fight for independence.
SC250: Life, Culture, and Conflict in Revolutionary South Carolina
This guide serves as a gateway to explore South Carolina’s pivotal role in the fight for independence and contains resources on arts, culture, education, people, places and Revolutionary War history in South Carolina.
Digitization
View documents, books, and maps that detail key events of the American Revolutionary War.
South Carolina 250 Digitization Collection
The documents, books, and maps in this collection reflect the work done by the S.C. American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission, South Carolina state agencies, United States federal agencies, and historic items from the South Carolina State Library State Documents Depository.
StudySC
Discover SC250 through StudySC, an online resource that provides information about South Carolina for K-12 students.
StudySC’s SC250 Resources
Discover how South Carolina helped shape the American Revolution. Explore the people, places, and pivotal moments that made the Palmetto State a turning point in the fight for independence.
Exhibits
SC250 Palmetto Display
This year, the South Carolina State Library partnered with the South Carolina Relic Room and Military Museum for Revolutionary War Day, which highlights South Carolina’s rich Revolutionary War history and the many battles fought here, including Ninety Six, Sullivan’s Island, Camden, Kings Mountain, and Cowpens.
Revolutionary South Carolina: A Photographic Journey by Marie and Eddie Goff
The State Library commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War through a photography exhibit titled “Revolutionary South Carolina: A Photographic Journey by Marie and Eddie Goff”. The exhibit is a collection of photographs highlighting historic places that shaped South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War.
General Resources
- South Carolina’s 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
The official SC250 Anniversary Website - The Liberty Trail
SC Battlefield Trust - Tour the Revolutionary War Southern Campaign in Three Days
American Battlefield Trust - Famous South Carolinians or Ties to South Carolina in the Revolutionary War
American Battlefield Trust
Sections
- Birth of a Revolution and a New Nation
The American Revolution was driven by a complex mix of ideals and self-interest, including political conflicts, economic ambitions, social tensions, and the fundamental aspirations of ordinary people for security, freedom, and a better life. - Political Movements and Ideologies – Loyalists vs. Patriots
The Revolution in South Carolina was not just a war of armies but also of ideas. While Patriots rallied for liberty and self-governance, Loyalists remained steadfast to the British Crown. Delve into the books, research, and historical and personal accounts that reveal the ideological struggles tearing through communities, families, and the very fabric of colonial society. - Military History
The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) was a transformative conflict that shaped the birth of the United States, driven by economic tensions and ideological struggles between the American colonies and Great Britain. Explore the history of the war, from its root causes to the key battles, strategies, and the leaders that determined its outcome. Interactive maps illustrate crucial campaigns, troop movements, and shifting frontlines, offering a visual understanding of the war’s progression. - Key Battles in South Carolina
South Carolina was a crucial battleground during the American Revolution, witnessing pivotal clashes that shaped the war’s outcome. From the heroic defense at Fort Moultrie to the brutal guerrilla warfare in the backcountry, the state’s military history reveals the high stakes of the conflict. Explore key battles, strategies, and the sacrifices of Patriots who fought to secure independence or the Loyalists to preserve British rule. - Revolutionary Era Education and Literacy
The educational landscape for children in the thirteen colonies was not a uniform system but a fractured mirror reflecting the stark social and economic realities of the time. A child’s access to schooling, the quality of instruction, and even the right to learn were shaped by three major factors: the region they lived in, the wealth of their family, and the color of their skin. - Economic Impact on SC (and Southern) Commerce
The Revolution disrupted South Carolina’s thriving agricultural and trade economy, with British blockades, plantation raids, and the loss of enslaved labor reshaping the region’s wealth. Explore how the war affected rice and indigo exports, merchant networks, and the financial struggles of both Patriots and Loyalists, leaving lasting scars on the Southern economy. - Women’s Roles in the Revolution
While often left out of traditional narratives, women in Revolutionary South Carolina were far from passive observers. From managing plantations in their husbands’ absence to gathering intelligence, aiding militias, and even facing enemy occupation, their contributions were vital. Uncover the stories of resilience, sacrifice, and defiance that redefine women’s place in the fight for independence. - African American Military Service
For enslaved and free Black South Carolinians, the Revolution presented both risk and opportunity. Some fought for the British in exchange for freedom, while others joined Patriot forces, though liberty was rarely guaranteed. Examine the complex choices, bravery, and betrayals faced by African Americans in a war that promised freedom but often delivered further oppression. - Native Americans and Indigenous Nations – Is the New America Friend or Foe?
For Cherokee, Catawba, and other Indigenous nations in South Carolina, the Revolution forced difficult alliances and devastating consequences. While some tribes sided with the British to resist colonial expansion, others supported the Patriots only to find the new American government no less hostile. Investigate how Native communities navigated this turbulent era and what independence truly meant for them. - Arts
The arts in Revolutionary South Carolina were a powerful force, serving both as a record of the era and a tool for the cause. Through painting, architecture, fashion and decorative arts, and music and theater, South Carolinians expressed political identity, documented their world, and shaped the visual culture of a new nation. - Culture
Culture in Revolutionary South Carolina reflected a society in conflict. While the planter elite cultivated a genteel world of fashion and leisure, the revolutionary cause infused public rituals with new political meaning.
–statelibrary.sc.gov
