USC Salkehatchie Hosts Revolutionary Days Exhibit Celebrating SC250 Anniversary

The South Carolina State Museum's traveling exhibition "Resilience & Revolution: Native Peoples in 18th Century South Carolina" was on display March 5–27 in the USC Salkehatchie Atrium, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 465 James Brandt Blvd in Allendale. The Allendale County 250 Committee brought back Revolutionary Days, a week-long celebration of South Carolina's Revolutionary War history, with March 15–22 serving as the focal window of programming.

The exhibit, the centerpiece of Allendale County Revolutionary Days 2026, highlighted the resilience, resistance and rich cultural legacy of Native communities during a transformative period in the state's history. Prior to European arrival, at least 29 distinct tribal communities had lived for centuries in what later became South Carolina, each with its own political, economic and social systems. As Europeans colonized and threatened their existence, Indigenous communities fought back or accepted the changes to their worlds.

Developed in partnership with South Carolina Humanities, the SC Department of Archives and the Native American Studies Center at USC Lancaster, the exhibition explores the struggles experienced by Indigenous peoples in South Carolina to retain their independence following the establishment of the Carolina colony by the British.

Throughout the week, visitors could also expect live reenactments, dynamic speakers and storytellers, educational programs for all ages and special community events and gatherings. All events took place in the Atrium thanks to the continued generosity of USC Salkehatchie.

Revolutionary Days in Allendale has now become a recurring tradition anchored at the USC Salkehatchie campus. The Allendale County 250 Revolutionary War Committee kicked off its earlier month-long celebration in January 2025 with a presentation by USC Salkehatchie history professor Dr. David Dangerfield, whose talk "People of Color during the American Revolution" explored the diverse experiences of African Americans during this pivotal period and shed light on the crucial role of free people of color in this defining era.

That January 2025 programming also included a cannon salute that drew participants from across the region. Members of the Georgia Society SAR's Brier Creek Skunk Brigade fired four cannons at Cohen's Bluff on Saturday, January 11, and the sound of cannons and muskets rang out across the Savannah River waterfront. Festivities had kicked off with the Allendale County SC250 Committee unveiling interpretive markers at Cohen's Bluff and Johnson's Landing. Rachael Sharp, who serves as secretary and co-chair of the Allendale County SC250 Committee, said "A lot of love and time was put into it" of designing the markers. They were designed by Adams O'Cain.

Richard Lee Herron, a member of the Georgia Society, Sons of the American Revolution, said: "This country was founded by people seeking freedom, including people who were wanting to be able to express their freedom of religion. If we don't keep that memory alive, eventually it will be lost."

Dr. John Derden, a history professor who has taught at multiple Georgia colleges, noted that the Savannah River was "a very critical, strategic, and important waterway during the American Revolution" and "the main transport and communication route between Savannah and Augusta."

The Allendale County 250 Committee had signaled well in advance that another exhibit from the South Carolina State Museum would anchor the 2026 celebration, and that USC Salkehatchie would again serve as a partner and pillar in the community. The full calendar of Revolutionary Days events is available at allendalesc250.com/revolutionary-days.