Battle of Kings Mountain
Kings Mountain, near Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA
What happened
Patriot militia known as the 'Overmountain Men', led by Isaac Shelby, John Sevier and William Campbell, fought Loyalist militia under the British officer Major Patrick Ferguson. Patriot militia from the mountains surrounded the hill and attacked from behind trees and rocks. After about an hour, Ferguson fell and the Loyalists surrendered.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It came after a string of Patriot defeats in the Carolinas and lifted their spirits. Cornwallis gave up his plan to invade North Carolina, and Thomas Jefferson called it 'the turn of the tide of success'.
What came next
A few months later the Patriots won at Cowpens. The battlefield became Kings Mountain National Military Park in 1931.
Did you know?
Ferguson was the only regular British soldier on his side; everyone else was an American Loyalist.
Timeline
- 1780British forces win a series of battles in the Carolinas.
- 7 October 1780The Patriots win at Kings Mountain.
- 17 January 1781The Patriots win at Cowpens.
- 1931Kings Mountain National Military Park is created.