COLUMBIA — A new set of lessons and classroom resources is aimed at helping students better understand South Carolina’s important role in the Revolutionary War ahead of the nation’s semiquincentennial independence celebrations in 2026.
The curriculum was developed alongside the American Battlefield Trust, a nonprofit that preserves historic battlefields across the country, and includes lesson plans, activities, videos, worksheets and slideshow presentations. It’s the nonprofit’s first state-specific offering, according to the S.C. Department of Education.
Aligned with the state’s social studies standards, the online resources teach about the course of the war in South Carolina, key groups, people and battles and a virtual field trip video about Charleston.
Also included are multiple primary sources, such as an Irish officer’s letter recounting how the eventual British victory at the Battle of Camden was urged on by Gen. Charles Cornwallis’ call to “charge the rascals,” and correspondence between American generals about their victory at the Battle of Cowpens a year later.
“South Carolina students are privileged to walk in the footsteps of ordinary men and women who made extraordinary sacrifices for freedom,” state Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said in a statement.
The Palmetto State played an outsize role in fight for independence, from early battles at Ninety Six, Sullivan’s Island and James Island to Patriot victories that became key turning points later in the war at Cowpens and King’s Mountain.
Its new partnership with the battlefield trust is meant to add local depth to students’ understanding of the revolution, particularly in the fourth and eight grades when social studies classes focus the most on South Carolina and American independence.
A lesson about the 1780 Battle of King’s Mountain, for instance, breaks down the tactics and timeline of the clash in what is now Cherokee County, asking students to consider the importance of a battle fought between opposing American militias instead of against regular British troops.
“Through this partnership, we’re helping South Carolina students discover those stories in the very places they live and learn,” Battlefield Trust board member Vann Hipp said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to know that these lessons will not only teach history but also inspire a deeper appreciation for the values that continue to shape our nation.”
The new curriculum is part of the education department’s larger civics initiative, the Palmetto Civics Project, which aims to prepare students for the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and counteract what some tests and surveys suggest is a national decline in civics literacy.
It’s timed ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year, part of celebrations and commemorations that have already begun across the state.