Cultural Institutions
Cowpens National Battlefield and Kings Mountain National Military Park
Cowpens National Battlefield and Kings Mountain National Military Park, both units of the National Park System, each interpret vitally significant battles that took place in the Carolina Piedmont during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. The significance of the Battle of Kings Mountain (October 7, 1780) is rooted in the sudden decisive victory of a band of rebel frontiersmen over an opposing British force led my Major Patrick Ferguson. The American victory over Ferguson stymied the plans of British General Charles Cornwallis to attack the Western Carolinas with a twin-pronged invasion. The withdrawal of Cornwallis permitted a revived American army to be reorganized, equipped and trained during the winter of 1780-1781 under newly appointed leader, General Nathanael Greene. The news of the American victory swept the embattled states, bringing badly needed encouragement to the Patriot cause. Coming on the heels of a patriot victory at Kings Mountain, the battle at the “Cow Pens”—led by patriot Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton—took place on January 17, 1781. Cowpens was the second successive staggering defeat for British forces under General Charles Cornwallis. Only nine months after the Battle of Cowpens, Cornwallis was forced to surrender his weak and weary army to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia in October 1781.
Education has been one of the guiding principles of the National Park Service (NPS) since its creation in 1916. Helping visitors understand the history and stories of each unique area is still a vital function of the NPS. Through this effort, the NPS instituted curriculum materials and programs. Since that time, parks have begun to develop curriculum materials that focus on facets of instruction, such as history, the arts, cultural information, etc., for use both in the classroom and in the park.
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Virginia Fowler Telephone: Address: E-mail: Website: |
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Chris Revels Telephone: Address: E-mail: Website: |