‘Upcountry Road to Freedom’ exhibit opens at Upcountry History Museum

Upcountry History Museum will open its “Upcountry Road to Freedom: Upstate South Carolina During the American Revolution” exhibit April 25.

The exhibition, which was organized in partnership with Clemson University and private collectors, focuses on people, places and events of the Southern Campaign’s war years, while offering a look at the culture and life in the backcountry during this period.

“Upcountry Road to Freedom” features original items and artifacts owned by soldiers and civilians to illustrate the phases in the United States’ fight for independence and the nation’s formation. It will also share perspectives from Upcountry women, free and enslaved African Americans, indigenous people and solidiers.

Ahead of the exhibition’s opening, the museum welcomed a one-day viewing of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History’s “Foundations of a Revolution” exhibit on April 23, which included three of the state’s most important documents from the American Revolution.

This special exhibit featured:

• Articles of Association for the District Eastward of the Wateree River, 1775 – The Provincial Congress appealed to residents in present-day Clarendon, Kershaw, Lancaster and parts of Sumter counties, to sign this document to signify their support for a shared defense against British aggression.
• South Carolina Constitution of 1776 – Drafted by the Provincial Congress and signed in March 1776, this document set up the state’s General Assembly and gave the legislature the right to elect judges, sheriffs and military officers.
• Treaty of Dewitt’s Corner, May 20, 1777 – This document was signed by representatives of South Carolina, Georgia and the Cherokee to signify the end of the war with the Cherokee.

“Upcountry Road to Freedom” is on display through Sept. 5, 2027. For more information, visit upcountryhistory.org.