South Carolina's lone Democratic U.S. House member is joining with the other six Republican members to create a trail to help link and preserve Revolutionary War sites South Carolina and North Carolina.
South Carolina leaders have tried for more than a decade to create the trail, which would begin near Charleston, wind into the Midlands and Upstate, into the North Carolina mountains and Piedmont, then back toward Wilmington.
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn testified last month before a House subcommittee in favor of the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor Act, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported.
“It is a personal mission of mine to increase public awareness of, and appreciation for, natural, historical, scenic and cultural resources associated with the Southern Campaign,” Clyburn said on June 15. “It is my hope that the creation of this Heritage Corridor will also draw visitors to battlefields and historical landmarks located in communities across the Carolinas that are rich in history.”
Among the South Carolina sites on the trail would be Charleston Harbor, Marion’s guerrilla warfare in the Pee Dee, the Cowpens National Battlefield and the Battle of Kings Mountain.
In North Carolina, the trail would include Fort Defiance Historic Site, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, House in the Horseshoe State Historic Site and Moores Creek National Battlefield.
All six Republican House members from South Carolina support the bill. Rep. Ralph Norman said he thinks the bill is gaining traction in Congress. He said the role of the Carolinas to win America's independence is often overlooked and the sites need to be preserved.
“We cannot lose that part of our heritage, which is why this bill is important. And it’s great to see every member of the South Carolina delegation to the House on board with this effort,” Norman said in a statement to the newspaper.
In the past, a companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate, but one isn't currently in that chamber.
