Program offers teachers in-depth history of Revolutionary War battle sites
Most people are aware of the South’s role in the Civil War — but fewer realize the region was pivotal in the war for America’s independence.
While the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War at Yorktown, Va., may have led to Britain’s official surrender, it was the battles in the South — notably, in South Carolina — that historians say weakened British efforts and won independence for the 13 colonies.
It’s part of the lesson more than 40 history teachers from South Carolina and around the United States heard this week, as they put on their sturdiest pairs of sneakers and trekked across the state’s battlefields as part of “Patriots and Redcoats: The American Revolution in the Southern Back Country.”
The program — put on by Converse College and showcasing some of South Carolina’s well-known historians — offered K-12 history teachers the opportunity to see battle sites and expand their knowledge of the events that occurred in the late 18th century.
Participants dissected the experiences of soldiers, militia, women and blacks during the Revolution — and found new ideas for engaging students about the nation’s history.
“When I think about when I was in school, it was teachers standing in front reeling off dates and information,” said Melanie Johnson, an elementary school teacher at Richland 1’s Carolina School for Inquiry, who brought a digital camera to record the sights for future lessons.
She and 46 others spent a day this week learning a detailed account of the Battle of Cowpens, where the American army turned the flanks of the British army in a 1781 battle.
The entire second half of the American Revolutionary War was fought in the South and much of it — including two major victories against Britain — was in South Carolina.
“We hope that they’ll have a better understanding of how the war was won and how complicated it was,” said Melissa Walker, the program’s director.
Teachers stayed at Converse College, and costs were covered through a $100,000 grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Participants made trips to several of South Carolina’s eight Revolutionary War battle sites — including Kings Mountain near Blacksburg, one of the few major battles of the war fought entirely between Americans.
Southerners were divided, with some people fighting for independence, others for loyalty to England.
“It wasn’t a simple matter to choose which side you were going to be on,” Walker said.
For blacks, choosing sides was even trickier, as the British army offered them their freedom in exchange for fighting on the side of the British.
Seattle teacher Wilma Killian said the workshop opened her eyes to the American Revolution beyond the well-known battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill.
“I knew absolutely nothing about what took place here.
“Oh my gosh, how could I have been teaching and not know this stuff?”
Reach Copeland at (803) 771-8485.
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
How much do you know? Take this quiz:
1. Which country was the United States fighting for its independence?
2. How long did the war last?
3. Where was the second half of the war fought?
4. What was the name of the group that opposed the Revolution?
5. Which country helped America win the Revolution?
Answers
1. Britain
2. 1775-83
3. The South
4. Loyalists
5. France
SOURCE: Digital history at University of Houston
S.C. SCHOOLS AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Here’s a quick breakdown of what students are expected to know about the war for America’s independence:
Third grade: Summarize the key conflicts and key leaders of the American Revolution in South Carolina and their effects on the state, including the occupation of Charleston by the British and the battles of Cowpens and Kings Mountain.
Seventh grade: Compare the perspectives and roles of different South Carolinians during the American Revolution, including those of political leaders, soldiers, partisans, patriots, Tories/Loyalists, women, African-Americans and Native Americans.
High school: Explain the impact of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution on the American colonies and the world at large.
