Join Ranger Katherine and Ranger Lamar as they debate which 18th-century weapon is the most famous in the history of gunpowder weapons. Ranger Katherine believes that the American long rifle, used by the Patriots at Kings Mountain, should win the day--but Ranger Lamar thinks that the Loyalists' musket should have the upper hand. What do you think?
Does your class have what it takes to follow the 18th-century manual of arms? Get up and get moving with Ranger Lamar and his ragtag team of recruits as they explain the importance of training during the Revolutionary War, and lead you through a typical militia drill.
(Note: For local schools, the park may be able to loan wooden dummy guns; please contact us for more information. Otherwise, this activity can be completed with wooden sticks, PVC pipe, yardsticks, or any other similar object.)
Duration:
12 minutes, 34 seconds
Hands-On Activities
In these videos, presenters explain and then demonstrate hands-on activities. The park may be able to provide these materials free of charge to classrooms in certain parts of North and South Carolina. For more information, please contact the park.
During the Revolutionary War, soldiers would load muskets with pre-made cartridges. Watch Volunteer David explain how to roll a cartridge--although this one will use a marble and colored sand, rather than a musket ball and gunpowder!
Join Ranger Sharyn as she explains the images in the National Park Service symbol, and how these together demonstrate some important aspects of parks. Students will then imagine their own park, and design a symbol for it.
Did everyone in the 1700s just smell terrible? Volunteer Becky explains the importance of sachets, and then shows students how to assemble their own.
Duration:
5 minutes, 13 seconds
Battlefield Tour
Take a virtual walk along the Battlefield Trail at Kings Mountain National Military Park. In addition to sharing the story of Kings Mountain and the Southern Campaign, these videos include activities that will require students to use their creativity, critical thinking skills, and more. Videos are geared to 4th- to 8th-graders, and have been designed so that teachers can show all seven videos in sequence (38 minutes in total), or choose only a selection of topics. Some activities may require additional time, but can easily be skipped if necessary.
Walk the Battlefield Trail at Kings Mountain National Military Park! In this first stop on the tour, get started with Ranger Leah as she explains the background of the battle. Since this was an all-American battle, with no British troops present, she asks you to decide--would you have been a Patriot, or a Loyalist?
On this second stop on the tour, learn about one of the key groups of Patriots at the battle, the Overmountain Men. Listen as one of them shares how he moved west of the Blue Ridge, and why he came to fight at Kings Mountain.
(Thanks to Steve Ricker and the Overmountain Victory Trail Association for their help with this video.)
At the third stop, evaluate each side's chances based on the topography of the battlefield, as well as the weapons used and each side's numbers. For a more in-depth discussion of the weapons, and what made them successful (or not!) at the battle, check out "Which Weapons Wins?" in the General Education Videos section.
How do we know so much about the Battle of Kings Mountain, nearly 250 years later? On the fourth stop of the tour, learn about some types of sources historians use to study the Revolutionary War, and hear a sixteen-year-old's account of the battle.
For the sixth stop on the tour, we'll see if we can spot all the monuments along the ridgeline. After learning what each of them honors, can you design your own marker for the Battle of Kings Mountain?
In the final stop on the Battlefield Tour, visit the grave of Patrick Ferguson and learn what happened to Loyalists and camp followers after the battle--and after the war.
Duration:
5 minutes, 55 seconds
Last updated: May 4, 2021
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