Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, VA
Home MenuLife in the Revolutionary-Era Virginia Backcountry
November 12 • 6 p.m. • American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
Join William & Mary professor Sarah McCartney, Ph.D., for a look at “Life in the Revolutionary-Era Virginia Backcountry,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. In conjunction with the "Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation" VA250 Signature Exhibition, guests can explore the exhibition in advance beginning at 5 p.m.
In 1775, Virginia’s backcountry residents announced their patriotic fervor with statements published in the Virginia Gazette, and the American colonies declared independence the following year. Despite verbal support for the patriot cause, backcountry settlers often focused on local concerns, rather than those of colony or empire, as their communities were fraught with uncertainty on the edge of colonial settlement. This presentation will trace the lived experience of Virginia backcountry settlers through the revolutionary-era as they embraced their right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
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Sarah McCartney
Sarah E. McCartney, Ph.D., is an assistant teaching professor in the Harrison Ruffin Tyler Department of History and the National Institute of American History and Democracy (NIAHD) at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in history from William & Mary and her doctorate in history from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Her research focuses on the Virginia backcountry during the American Revolution. At William & Mary, she teaches courses on public history, material culture, early America, the Atlantic World and Virginia history.
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About the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days) and located on Route 1020 near the Colonial Parkway in Yorktown.
A commemorative partner of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown tells the story of the nation’s founding. Comprehensive indoor exhibits and outdoor living-history areas capture the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and its relevance today.
Admission tickets can be purchased online or in person. Plan your visit today or call (757) 253-4838 for more information. Parking at the museum is free for museum visitors. A free shuttle service is available to Historic Yorktown on the Yorktown Trolley.