The Revolutionary War in the South: Animated Battle Map
Explore The Liberty Trail in South Carolina: bit.ly/3n13xwS
Learn About the Northern Campaign of the Revolutionary War:
This animated map brings the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War to life, complete with with troop movement, narratives, and historical reenactments.
After years of battles in the Northern and Mid-Atlantic Colonies resulting in a stalemate, the British devised a new Southern Strategy in late 1778, hoping to keep control of the agriculturally prosperous South, in case they had to sue for peace with George Washington in the North. Nearly three years of vicious fighting ensued, featuring lesser known American generals such as Benjamin Lincoln, Daniel Morgan, Johann de Kalb, Horatio Gates and Nathanael Greene leading the Patriot forces time and time again in the Southern Colonies against the likes of Charles Cornwallis, Patrick Ferguson and Banastre Tarleton. As Greene once put it, "We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again." The Americans just had to hold out long enough to wear down the British war effort.
The campaign culminated at the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia in 1781, ultimately leading to the end of the Revolutionary War and the dawn of American Independence.
0:00 Intro to the Southern Campaign
2:53 The British Announce their Southern Strategy
3:40 Action at Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC
4:42 Charleston falls to Sir Henry Clinton
5:22 Lesser Known Patriots keep the fight alive
6:30 Cornwallis wants the back country
7:21 Battle of Kings Mountain
8:22 Battle of Cowpens
9:48 Battle of Guilford Court House
10:38 Siege of Ninety Six at Star Fort
12:00 Cornwallis heads for Virginia
12:42 Battle of Yorktown
13:17 American Independence and Legacy of the Southern Campaign
General Greene camped in my backyard here in North Carolina. Not my figurative "general area" back yard, my literal back yard. I have found many round balls, buttons, horse shoes, and buckles in my back garden and in the woods beyond. He camped here after the battle at Guilford Court House. Unfortunately my local historical society will not help me in preserving the site, nor any of my other known locations I, and my good friends, own across our county. I would love to see a video on the War of the Regulation here in North Carolina. Thank you for preserving this history. I am a born and raised Yankee, but history is history, and all deserves to be remembered, no matter the feelings associated. God Bless.
Greetings and respect from Germany
Funny, I’ve camped in General Greene’s backyard in Rhode Island. Well, actually his front yard.
I still dislike the British. They killed many Minutemen P.O.W. in Arlington in a civilians home. My hometown had a casualty in Lexington RUBEN KENSINGTON of BEVERLY ma.
my ancestors fought in Kings Mountain and Cowpens for the Americans against the Loyalists and British
Get ready to fight again. This is no joke. You will be fighting against communist shitheads, better known as bureaucrats.
It's cool to think about. But of course, we all have thousands of cousins who share those same ancestors. 🤦
Thank you for posting this! Proud native South Carolinian, here. I work mere miles from Cowpens battlefield, used to camp with Scouts each October at Kings Mountain, and have spent much time at the Ninety-Six historical site. Though covering every conflict in Georgia and the Carolinas would be impossible for the time constraints, you certainly did a great job with the highlights.
this is awesome, you rarely hear about these battles
You can walk around the Northeast in old world clothes and nobody would be surprised, it would be like Japanese wearing kimonos and such around their country 🙋
because they usually read about them
This is what they need to be teaching kids in school, so they know what a precious gift we have been given.
So many people do not know of or hardly know of the southern campaigns. Fascinating study and shows the true American resolve
One thing that seems to get lost is how Americans were fighting each other as well. I like how it was included that loyalists and patriots battled.
Sir Peter Parker 😂😂😂
Lead by Spiderman! :D
Well know as the spider ?
Being from Eastern Massachusetts and growing up right in the location of the events of the 1760's and 1770's; it was easy for me to become seriously interested in all things colonial and Revolutionary. In fact, I joined the Framingham Co of Militia and Minute when a teenager and for a few years participated in re-enactments. I was aware of the Southern actions but had no clear picture of them. The last couple of years I have been reading about those battles and campaigns to fill in the blanks. More partisan conflicts then the North it seems. Great video. Check out the Osprey title "Patriot Militiamen in the Am. Rev, 75-82" Covers the Southern conflicts.
I have been a member of the American Battlefield Trust since its founding and the American Civil War Trust before that. Live in NE Ohio and had a four times gr. grandfather that fought with the Patriots for 6 years. Have visited Cowpens and King's Mtn. and other sites in New England. Thank you for the great job making the war more assessable to all.
Great video. You missed the battle of Ramsour’s Mill in Lincoln County NC on June 20, 1780. 400 patriot militia attacked and dispersed about 1,300 loyalists in a surprise attack. Many of the men who fought this “unknown” battle went on to fight at King’s Mountain.
My ancestor was the main commander at King’s Mountain. What a cool thing to learn about! I never had any idea, and neither did my family.
best channel ever
It's amazing how much the Patriots got beat, but they continued to persist and fight. People also criticize George Washington as a mediocre commander, but he made all the right decisions, including sending Nathaniel Greene to the Carolinas
He was a fantastic General. He preformed miracles time and again with very very little support from Congress.
My ancestors Jacob Daniel Scherer and Fredrich Scherer, father and son fought together for the patriot cause at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Their farm was 3 miles from the battlefield. Thank you for these amazing videos. If only this history was taught in our schools. We have so much to be thankful for.
My 6th great grandfather Abijah joined the militia as well
Nice! My ancestor fought under General Greene
Awesome! It's truly a travesty to me that he is not better known. General Greene is one of the greatest generals this country has ever had. His strategy of pulling the Brits away from their supplies was brilliant and he deserves to be remembered for what he is and the major role he played in winning our independence.
@@HistoryNerd808 I completely agree with you on that and like General Greene left an interesting legacy in America and what I mean by that is like after the death of Nathaniel Greene his family continued to fight for america because during the American civil war his Second Cousin George Sears Greene continued to mark his family name in American history by defending and holding Culps hill which was the Union Right Flank at the bloody battle of Gettysburg and like he also helped to teach the future confederate general Robert Edward Lee in engineering but also George Greene’s Kids left a legacy in America because his eldest son Samuel Greene was the executive officer on board the Uss Monitor and another son Francis Greene fought in the battle of Manila during the Spanish American war who fought alongside the father of General Douglas MacArthur.
Morgan pulled the old double envelopment on Tarlton at Cowpens. Hannibal would have been proud.
The Zulus used pincer maneuvers in their battles 🙆
@@craftpaint1644 so have many civilizations since 500 BC...
You should read more about Morgan. He had a long and distinguished career in the Continental Army that culminated with his victory at Cowpens. He hated the British from an incident during the French and Indian War (1755-1763) when he was whipped after soiling an officer's uniform. He retired from active service shortly after Cowpens, he suffered terrible pain from arthritis.
He put his armies back against a wall and forced them to fight for their lives
"God himself can not remove me from this mountain!" *gets clapped* "oh hey God...about that last comment..."
Ferguson is still on King's Mountain.
Lol
@@richardlahan7068 That is right. And when I was a child they told me every time I went to the battlefield to find a rock and add it to the pile on his grave so they devil could not escape.
Kind similar to elitist on the Titanic stating that God Himself could not sink this ship -
I just read about this campaign, great job summarizing it with visuals.
Amazing job covering the major battles of the war- would love to see these continuing to drill down on the specifics of the battles over time!
Very helpful. Thank you. So my great granddaddies 4th & 5th fought in the southern campaign. 5th, born in Ireland, remained loyal and fought with Cornwallis until Charleston was secured. His son, born in Camden 1755, was a Patriot. Patriot was captured at Brier Creek and taken prisoner to Savannah. We just tracked that this week on a trip to Savannah. It made it real.
Thanks for this! Great work
These are the BEST Videos, please make more.
Thank you for making and posting this informative view of the Revolutionary War in the South. The Southern campaign is neglected in the usual history of the war and that is ironic since the war was won in the South.
Heck ya, right in the middle of the w. Virginia & Kentucky “campaign “
Truly amazing
Excellent presentation!
Excellent video - well done!
Great content as usual.
Wow! Great video👍🏻
I once read that General Nathaniel Greene “never won a battle, but never lost a campaign” and from what I’ve seen it’s a fitting description.
True except he was only in charge of one campaign.
Yay Maps are Back
Read Robert Graves' "Sergeant Lamb's America" and "Proceed Sergeant Lamb" two books based on the true memoirs of Roger Lamb, a British Army sergeant who served in the 9th and 23rd Regiments of the British Army. The most comprehensive story of the American Revolution by a British Army soldier from Dublin, Ireland. Roger Lamb wrote two memoirs of his life as well.
Fantastic!
The war had become a world war with France, Spain and the Dutch fighting the British. Yorktown did not end the fighting but the center of operations shifted to places like the Caribbean sugar islands. King George opposed ending the war threatening to resign but war weariness and the threat to these islands run by slave labor and more valued than the colonies (which only received 5% of the slaves imported to the new world and which according to Jefferson's first draft of the Declaration of Independence the British prevented the colonies from banning slavery) forced the British to sign the peace treaty.
Thanks for that comment! It sparked my curiosity, and now I'm reading more about slavery, freedom, and the Revolutionary War.
@@tungstwn1241 It is a complicated and interesting subject. I would also suggest looking up the impact of the Haitian revolution, especially the rapes and slaughter of the Whites, and it's affects on Southern slavery which became much harsher as fears of race war grew.
@@jamesbarton1969 Will do!
Slavery was put on the back burner because the New United States was far more important than slavery.
@@generalbooger9146 Slavery was not on any burner. Until 1838 British colonies could not ban slavery at which time Britain compensated slave owners and all slaves were freed. Britain outlawed the international slave trade in 1808, not slavery in the colonies. Slaves of loyalists were not freed by the British. Slaves of rebels were offered freedom if they fought with the British, the object was gaining fighters not freeing slaves.
Excellent!
I love this channel and I love the Maps that y’all put on! I’m not sure if y’all take requests but I live in Monroe Michigan where the Battle of Frenchtown took place during the war of 1812 and I was wondering if y’all could make an animated map of the battle the took place where I live? The River Raisin Battlefield is one of my favorite places to go and I would love to learn more about the battle that took place 5 minutes(car) away from my house!
Awesome content. Cool to see all the historical stuff happen right in my back yard.
Great video
Unfortunately - many of our schools neglect to teach anything about the Southern Campaign...
Because the North won the Civil War and whoever wins the war writes the history.
@420rgb2 2 But that war affected how the history has been written.
@@DannyWalker247 bonehead
I grew up in Norfolk, heard a few things about this battle , there is actually one building in downtown Norfolk ( pronounced Nawfulk) that has a cannon ball imbedded in building there.
Some identical in Gettysburg too.
Yes, the cannon ball is found in the wall of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Norfolk. When I worked in downtown Norfolk in the early 1980's I sometimes went to services there at lunchtime. You can see a photo of the cannonball in the Wikipedia article about the church. The cannonball was fired on January 1st, 1776.
Sir Peter Parker was once heard remarking before battle, "I'm gonna put some dirt in your eye."
Didn't learn this in school. Glad I learned it now!
They don't teach much Southern history due to the fact that the North won the Civil War. People who win the war write the history.
Camden, Cowpens & Guilford CH are great parks.
Wonderfully attractive ! Thank you , American Battlefield Trust . Tom O'Brien Miami Fl.
Ninety Six native here. This is a great documentary!
Barbary Wars and The Battle of New Orleans with Andrew Jackson are huge parts of our freedom and would make great videos
May 20 1775 , Mecklenburg NC declares independence from Great Britain. I learned this recently while researching my roots. My Scottish ancestors were there. I am so grateful for them.
that doesn't make sense
@@generalbooger9146 research it. It happened
I'm decended from the Savage family that lived at The Old Savage Farm. the site of the Battle of Ninety-Six. Mj. Wm. Savage one of three brothers who were British Officers that lived there, where the Star Fort was built, is my ancestor.
My condolences that they did not win the war
A friend that I shared this with commented that he would like to see a video on the Gulf Coast Campaign. I had to admit I hadn't heard of it - The Spanish role in the Revolution.
It would be nice to see the war in the Caribbean, India, and Gibraltar too.
@420rgb2 2 Yes, you realize that the Fench and British Empires were fighting a world war over this right? Look up Admiral Suffren and his exploits in the Indian Ocean.
@@FieldMarshalYT as well as Mars, Jupiter and Star War Universe
@@generalbooger9146 tf are you on about
I liked this video a lot more than the overall "Revolution" one. Only thing for this video, is I would have included more details about why Camden was such an embarrassing defeat, and why Morgan placed his troops in such an unprecedented manner. At Camden, the American commander, General Gates, did not fully understand European tactics, thus he put his weakest troops in front of the British strongest troops. They were immediately dispersed, and the American line fell apart. At Cowpens, Morgan realized that the militiamen were dealdly accurate shooters but they could not stand up to British Regulars. So he placed them in the first two lines with the distinct instructions "fire two shots, and then you can retreat." The idea was for them to take down as many of the British as possible before they reached the main American line. The tactic worked so well, that Greene used it again at Guilford Courthouse.
Proud to be an American and PROUDER TO BE A SOUTHERN AMERICAN!!!
Watching this videos make me thing that an Strategy RPG based on the American Revolution could be an interesting game. I wonder why nobody ever done it?
The market for such a game would only be in America, which is too small of a market to make it worth producing. No one cares about the American Revolution outside of the US.
A strategy.. RPG? How does that work?
Such an RPG would be ground-breaking ig the programmer could be accurate with both Land forces and Naval actions as well as the effects of small bodies of water. That rarely happens.
@@diehard2705 lol So?
@@TermiteUSA it would be cool, but I don’t think it’ll get made unless an indi developer makes a passion project
02:19 Sir Peter Parker? U mean the tried to sic Spiderman on George Washington 😅
What happened to the enlisted Bristh POW's between Yorktown and the treaty? Where they paroled or held? Or exchanged right away?
2:19 No, not Spider-Man that's a different Peter Parker. Oops, I just gave away his secret identity, sorry Spidey. 7:43 Famous last words (even if they weren't his last words ironic that he said them pretty much right before he died). 11:46 Whenever both ides claim victory that means its a draw.
Outstanding! But at 7:24 was Ferguson's army really unsuspecting?
Ferguson knew that the Overmountain Men were pursuing him, but he underestimated their mobility and spirit. He camped at KM without posting pickets, thinking they were still 1 to 2 days march behind.
Sir Peter Parker *when Spider-Man becomes a British General*
With the holidays coming up can we do a video on the battle of Trenton, the forgotten second battle of Trenton and the importance of new jersey to the revolution?
Washington's Crossing: kzhead.info/sun/gbl-cbGNeaGsbI0/bejne.html Second Trenton: kzhead.info/sun/e8l_aNyvpaCdon0/bejne.html Princeton: kzhead.info/sun/kq2MpZqwg3agdK8/bejne.html
I was more interested in the second battle of Trenton in 1777. Guess I'll have to write and make the video myself.
@@kahirdey9547 That is the Second Battle of Trenton.
2:18 I knew Spider-Man was real!
Well, let me clarify few things. There is an article from The Massachusetts Society Sons of the American Revolution ( SAR ) called ‘Spain and the Independence of The United States.’ After reading the article cannot be a surprise to know than Spanish Commander Bernardo de Galvez has the same honour of be Honorary Citizeship of the United States like Laffayete…
yawn
@@generalbooger9146 Yes, go to sleep and avoid the reality. The ignorance is another way of resting when you prefer to live in automatical way. Lazy but effective for the weaks living of fake histories as always. A standard reply from an standard person.
Just saying but I know that I am going to love this video and the reason is you see I play the base drum in a pipe and drum band that is named after the famous famous brave and mighty and heroic and glorious and fantastic and fierce and stunning and stupendous and legendary and honorable and honored black watch which is a British Canadian and Scottish infantry regiment and its currently the 3rd battalion of the royal regiment of Scotland and you see before it was known as the black watch it was known as the 42nd regiment of foot and during the southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War it took place at the siege of Charleston and Just saying but I would love to see an animated map of the northern campaign because that campaign included some well known battles including the great British victories at brandywine and Germantown and the big battle of Long Island and it also included the great patriot victory’s like Lexington and concord Saratoga and Monmouth The capture of fort Ticonderoga the famous sneak attack on Trenton the battle of Princeton Springfield and it also included the bloody British victory at bunker hill and just saying but I would love to see an animated map of the western campaign of the American revolutionary wars because even though it wasn’t as famous as the southern and northern campaigns the western campaigns brought famous people out west like Daniel Boone and the brother of the famous William Clark named George Rogers Clark and it also brought the Spanish into the war but more specifically Bernardo de Galvez Viscount of Galveston count of Galves in which he fought the British army for control of British west Florida defeating the British at Pensacola and mobile
They don't teach punctuation like they used to...
Cornwallis did not back hin into the corner. He could not even think of the posibility that the engish fleet losing
Ferguson: "God himself will not remove me from this mount....." *shot lands on him* Patriot: "You're right, God ISN'T removing you from the mountain, I am"
Ha that’s interesting.😊
As is usual the most significant strategic event in the American south was left out. General Galvez under direction from Washington put to gether a large army and moved from Texas to New Orleans and across the Florida panhandle and up into Georgia threatening Savannah. This held the British in the South in check so they could not help Cornwallis. This "hispanic" force was as most likely the largest army on North American when the Cornwallis surrendered.
i live in anderson sc and been to half the counties never knew they were battle grounds
Sir peter parker was spiderman of that era.
2:19 Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that someone named "Sir Peter Parker" once existed?
We fight, get beat, and rise to fight again. Yeah kinda sounds like us southern boys lol. Also sounds like that whole "the south will rise again" thing
Why Spain Crown is always forgotten? Yorktown battle was payed with Spanish silver. Along the hole war, Spain provided gunpowder, quinine, uniforms, blankets, guns and bayonets, canyons, ammunition, a way to the sea in New Orleans... and Bernardo de Gálvez. With an army of Spanish from the present Mexico and Cuba most of them, invaded british territory in America. British troops that had to combat in Florida and the Mississipi and they lost. Spain also sent its ships and payed the French ships to block the British supplies (France always has the merit, but Spain payed all the French ships and all the supplies). And not important for USA but very important for Spain. Spain was preparing a definitve assault to Gibraltar, illegally occupied by GB, but decided to help the American rebels. British had to choose between Gibraltar or the 13 colonies. And they decided to protect more Gibraltar, because they would retain Canada, enough for them. In "compensation", Spain never has been mentioned and even treated as evil (just have a look into school books of History and see the drawings of wonderful british settlers, good friends of indians and the horrible bloodthisty Spaniards). Florida was taken with the menace of "silver or plumb" (yes, Pablo Escobar was not so original). Spain sold Florida but never was payed. And denigration campaigns continued on newspapers and lectures (Hearst said: "I will put the war". And he did it). An excuse to invade Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philipines and try to destroy the Spanish culture there. And here we are.
Spain silver and French blood ? Ok I am french...
@@stanlefort8584 Hola French Friend, silver and blood. (Pensacola, Mississipi, Natchez, Batón Rouge, etc.) We were the full package. You have Lafayette as Honorary Citizen and we Bernardo Galvez as Honorary Citizen too...so far.
Watching this in history class, don’t know what’s going on
Before corona I would take a niece to see a Shakespeare play twice a year. One time talking to the couple sitting behind us the subject of Julius Ceaser came up. I asked what happened on the ides of March? To their obvious answer I said no! The battle of guilford courthouse 1781.
there are too few if any documentaries on the american revolution from the british perspective.
Takes Billy Yank!
Don't know about you but I'm proud to be an American God Bless 🙏 this country.
Greene is the reverse Hannibal.
I was waiting for them to mention the name “benjamin martin” on how he led the militia 😂.
"Benjamin Martin", in "The Patriot", was loosely based on the real "Swamp Fox" Francis Marion who is actually mentioned in the video.
They put a golf course on the stono ferry battle field, gotta love it.
I'm a notherndr, we named our schools after Nathaniel Greene
In discussing about Southern State what need be mentioned is how Spain indirectly assistance via blocking British from using what now called State of Florida.Yet history book don’t mention this in history books.
Interesting. Surely it is recorded somewhere but I agree it should be mentioned. Thanks for pointing that out.
Sorry that not many US people or even teachers know why the US Congress recently has hung Bernardo de Galvez’s portrait in their walls
Let me help you a bit in relation to the video: Great video and great job but as usual, americans or brits, hidding the role of Spain in your freedom. Supporting you in a key role was the Spanish Fleet (several battles US waters), Spanish Army (several battles in US land), Spanish funds ( continous support plus 500.000 dollars in cash collected in 24 hrs in La Habana, Cuba, to support you for the Battle of Yorktown), Spanish guns (thousands), Spanish uniforms (thousands), all kind of supplies, etc. Let me say For Your Information: The Spanish Commander Bernardo de Galvez is member of the Honorary citizenship of the United States like Lafayette or Churchill and in words of George Washington: 'Without the support of Spain it would not have been possible the success of my troops'. Very simple and very clear. History is history and has a colour impossible to change..and the south and the sea was sealed by the Spanish, ok?
Peter Parker was a British patriot?! Peter Parker could fit in a dust pan?!
… And apparently they’re still shooting at me, a day later
Its never too late to return to the fold of the crown😅
Proud to be an American
The patriots were chasing me all over New England yesterday
Please take care of my southern recruits.
Not even a single mention of Francis marion is a travesty
He was mentioned, along with Sumter and others, early in the video.
My paternal ancestors were loyalists.
7:58 you know who was the evil
The 33 British troops return to charleston..
So not a lot has changed in some senses; cities and coastal communities still believe in independence and freedom and progressive ideas while the backwood and rural folk still believe in just sticking with the old outdated ideas and old outdated ways.
Loyalist is DEMS today & PATRIOT today is Independents & Non RINOS - JUST FYI
Not hardly, my father's Loyalist-descended side are raving Right wing crazies. I'm so happy that I never had to be exposed to them to much extent.
God Bless the USA🙏🏻
Great maps, but I won't be watching any of these videos because I don't like all the inter-cut scenes of re-enactors running around with uniforms on, pretending they're wounded or whatever . It's just a boring distraction. For viewers of this kind of content the priority should be more on listening anyway.
Sorry to hear
Another fine example of guerilla warfare.
Will you be covering the pending civil war???😂😂😂