BETWEEN NOW and through 2026 -- the 250th Anniversary of The American Revolution - many groups will sponsor events highlighting aspects of United States History; here are just a few in and around Laurens County:
Cherokee Plant Wisdom
Explore the fascinating practices and interplay the Cherokees had with the natural world on November 14 at 7:00 PM, at the Laurens County Museum. Durant Ashmore, landscape designer and nurseryman, as well as historian, will speak about the enduring effects the Cherokee have had on the environment and our way of life.
Ashmore considers the Cherokee “the ultimate survivors” and has continued to study their ways for over thirty years. His University of Georgia Landscape Architecture Masters Thesis was entitled “Cherokee Uses of Medicinal Plants”. He continues to find the people and the subject fascinating and never ceases to learn from them.
The lecture is open to the public. Laurens County Museum members and those 18 years old and under are free to attend. There is a suggested donation of $5 for non-members. Memberships may be obtained the night of the lecture.
Laurens County, the Great War, and Buddy Poppies Lunch and Learn
Learn the significance of the blood, sweat, and tears of Laurens County men and women and how they effected the Hindenburg Line and the outcome of World War I. Attend the program on November 14, 12:00 PM, in the Magnolia Room at the Laurens County Museum. Bring your lunch and learn!
The story of the “Buddy Poppy” will also be highlighted. Buddy poppies will be available to purchase at the museum leading up to Veterans Day. Proceeds from the poppies will go to the American Legion.
Jim Crocker of Spartanburg, a World War I historian and collector, will highlight the stories of the contributions of real people from this area who participated in the conflict - Laurens County’s two companies in the 118th and 30th Infantry Divisions. In addition, Charlie Gray of Spartanburg, a Laurens native, will speak on the history of how the poppy became an international symbol of remembrance following The Great War.
There is a suggested donation of $5 for those not members of the Laurensmn County Museum. Museum members and those 18 years old and under are free. Memberships are available at the Museum and online.
The Laurens County Museum is located at 116 South Public Square, Laurens, SC. The exhibit hall is open 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Mondays through Saturday. For more information, call (864) 681-3678 or visit www.Laurenscountymuseum.org or Facebook.
Anniversary of the Battle of Blackstocks Hike, November 20, 2023
Come out to join us late in the day on Monday, November 20, 2023 on the 243rd Anniversary of the Battle of Blackstocks for a special Ranger Guided Battlefield Hike. On November 20, 1780 following a fierce battle late in the day, General Thomas Sumter gave the feared Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton his first defeat during the Revolutionary War. This unique Ranger Guided Hike of the undeveloped Blackstock Battlefield will cover the events leading up to the battle, the commanders and soldiers from both sides involved in the battle itself, and the importance of the battle to the wider history of the Revolutionary War.
The hike is two hours long and will take place mostly off trail over difficult and hilly terrain. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for hiking and bring bottled water. No pets on hike. Currently there are no facilities on site so please plan ahead.
Cost: $10 per person
Meet 2:45 pm at the Blackstock Battlefield State Historic Site
Time: 3:00 pm-5:15 pm
Address: 568 Monument Road, Enoree, SC 29335
Space is limited, so reservations are required in advance:
https://southcarolinaparks.com/products/10006457
For more information, contact the park at (864) 938-0100 or e-mail us at mgmillsp@scprt.com. www.SouthCarolinaParks.com.
Battle of Blackstock Commemoration
On Saturday, November 18, 2023 Battle of Musgrove Mill State Historic Site will be having a Commemoration of the Battle of Blackstock followed by a Ranger led Battlefield Talk covering the history of the battle.
The Battle Commemoration will be from 10:00 am-11:00 am at the Blackstock Battlefield State Historic Site and will be led by local chapters of the Children of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Sons of the American Revolution.
Directly following the Commemoration, a seated Ranger Battlefield Talk will be offered from 11:05 am-12:30 pm on the Blackstock Battlefield. This talk will cover the history of why the battle occurred, the specifics of the battle itself, and the importance of the battle to the Patriot cause.
Seating will be limited so please bring your own chair.
Cost for Commemoration and Ranger Battlefield Talk: Free
Then come out and join us later in the day on November 18 from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm for a special Ranger Guided Lantern Hike of the undeveloped Blackstock Battlefield where just like during the battle itself the hike will begin shortly before sunset and as the sun begins to set you will be given candle lanterns to finish the hike in the dwindling light. The hike will cover the events leading up to the battle, the commanders and soldiers from both sides involved in the battle itself, and the importance of the battle to the wider history of the Revolutionary War. The hike is two hours long and will take place mostly off trail over difficult and hilly terrain.
Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for hiking, bring bottled water, hiking stick and a flashlight. No pets on hike. Currently there are no facilities on site so please plan ahead.
Cost for Ranger Guided Lantern Hike: $20 per person
GREENWOOD:
Nov. 18 - Revolutionary Times Market and Fair offers Colonial-themed experience
GREENWOOD — As part of the upcoming America250 celebration in 2026, the Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR will hold a Revolutionary Times Market and Fair on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will transform the Uptown Market of Greenwood from a fruit and vegetable farmer’s market into a Colonial-themed experience that gives visitors the unique opportunity to step back in time and gain a deeper understanding of our heritage.
The Revolutionary Times Market and Fair will offer activities for children, engaging storytellers, talented musicians and demonstrations by artisans and craftsmen.
Historical enthusiasts re-enacting early American life will stroll throughout the market, and visitors will have the opportunity to purchase unique gifts for their holidays.
Among the special highlights:
• Fifer Mary Norris, of Aiken, who had Revolutionary War ancestors, will present music during the event.
• Blacksmith Brandon R. Dillard will be demonstrating items made from metal that are authentic to the Colonial era.
• A special interactive area for children will include a variety of games and activities, including quill writing and tin punching, sachet making and the chance to make a tricorn hat. Children also can play Tic Tac Toe and checkers, games played by children in Colonial times, on special boards donated by Larry and Debra Smith, of Cross Hill, who also have created special photo frame props for the market.
The exhibit, “The American Revolutionary War in South Carolina,” is just a block from the Market at The Museum in Uptown Greenwood. It is a brief stroll to experience this complimentary exhibit, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To know more, visit the Issaqueena Chapter Facebook Event page.
For event updates, visit https://www.issaqueena-dar.org/america250.
Celebration in Greenwood to pay tribute to 250th Anniversary of Charleston Tea Party
GREENWOOD, S.C. – It is time to raise a tea cup and pay tribute to one of the great untold stories in American history – the fact that Charleston, South Carolina, held the nation’s first tea party in the years before the outbreak of the American Revolution.
The Charleston rebellion on December 3, 1773, came nearly two weeks before the more well-known tea party in Boston.
In honor of the 250-year anniversary of the historic event, a “Charleston Tea Party” will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 2 in the city of Greenwood. The celebration will honor the revolutionary influencers and city merchants who protested the landing of the ship “London” in 1773 when it sailed into the Charles Town Harbour carrying 257 chests of tea.
The event, which is sponsored by the Issaqueena Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, will be held in the parish hall of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, located at 700 South Main Street. The program is open to the community, but tickets are required. Due to limited seating, guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.
Guest Speakers
Julie Hardaway, the organizing regent of the Esther Marion Chapter in Aiken, will give a presentation, “The History of Tea and Its Effects on the American Revolution.” Her popular talk is a favorite among organizations throughout the Southeast. Hardaway is the Speakers Staff Coordinator for the South Carolina DAR and is a national vice chair in the administration of DAR President General Pamela Rouse Wright.
Dr. Franklin Rausch, a professor of history at Lander University, will discuss the “Revolutionary Influencers” from the Palmetto State who were involved with the Charleston Tea Party and became leading Patriots in the American Revolution. Rausch, who was named Lander’s Distinguished Professor of the Year in 2019, is a colonial re-enactor at the Ninety Six National Historic Site and participates in historical re-enactments throughout the state.
What led to the colonists’ rebellions?
“Colonists were poked and prodded to the point of being enraged after repeated acts and grabs for power and money by King George III and Parliament. These included the Townshend Revenue Act (1767), The Tea Act (1773) and The Coercive/Restraining Acts (1774),” Hardaway said. “This led to protests and boycotts of British imports, including tea.”
Many people wonder why the Charleston Tea Party has not received the prominent attention that other similar events have gotten over the years.
“The first Charleston Tea Party on December 3, 1773, came before the more famous one in Boston,” Hardaway said, noting that the actions of the Sons of Liberty in Boston were more flamboyant than the reserved measures of the Charleston leaders.
“But the Charlestonians were smarter than the Bostonians! They seized the tea and stored it in the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, later selling it to finance the Revolution in South Carolina,” she said.
When the ship “London” arrived in Charles Town’s port on December 1, 1773, carrying 257 chests of tea, the South Carolina Gazette newspaper reported that Charleston leaders and merchants met to discuss the “UNCONSTITUTIONAL purposes of raising a revenue upon us, WITHOUT OUR CONSENT.”
According to the December 6, 1773, issue of the newspaper, “so great a quantity of tea arriving at once, under such circumstances, just gave an (sic) universal alarm.”
The newspaper also made a plea “to the ladies,” with a warning from 18th-century Swiss physician, Dr. Samuel Auguste Tissot, about the impact of “the infamous tea” on a person’s health. “This most pernicious gift … destroys the strength of the stomach, and, if not laid aside, equally destroys that of the viscera, the blood, the nerves and the whole body.”
Tickets
Tickets are $25 per person. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online via PayPal to IssaqueenaTreasurer@gmail.com. Those who wish to pay by cash or check may contact the Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR by sending an email to that same address.
For questions about the event, send an email to scauthor@gmail.com or call 803-477-1971.
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