Kings Mountain National Military Park

Kings Mountain National Military Park
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Kings Mountain Monument
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Location	York / Cherokee counties, South Carolina
Nearest city	Blacksburg, South Carolina
Coordinates	35°8′16″N 81°23′22″W / 35.13778°N 81.38944°W / 35.13778; -81.38944Coordinates: 35°8′16″N 81°23′22″W / 35.13778°N 81.38944°W / 35.13778; -81.38944
Built	1780
Architect	Mckim, Mead & White; Howser, Henry (NPS)
Architectural style	Modern Movement, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Federal
NRHP Reference #	66000079
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966

66000079

Kings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border. The park commemorates the Battle of Kings Mountain, a pivotal and significant victory by American Patriots over American Loyalists during the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Thomas Jefferson considered the battle "The turn of the tide of success."

The Battle of Kings Mountain was fought on October 7, 1780, and destroyed the left wing of Lord Cornwallis' army, effectively ending Loyalist ascendance in the Carolinas. The victory halted the British advance into North Carolina, forced Lord Cornwallis to retreat from Charlotte into South Carolina, and gave General Nathanael Greene the opportunity to reorganize the American Army.

Prior to 1780, much of the Revolutionary War was fought in the Northern states. After an unsuccessful Northern campaign, British General Clinton decided to turn his attention to the south, where he believed that he and his troops would join up with loyalist militias and easily take the area. The campaign began with a swift move to capture Charleston, which was taken over after two months of fighting. After the capture of Charleston, Clinton wanted to capitalize on his victory, and sent British detachments in all directions, to subdue as much resistance as possible. After placing Cornwallis in charge of the Southern Campaign, Clinton returned to New York, where much of the British high command was. Clinton's instructions were to first finish off South Carolina, and then move north, to North Carolina, followed by Virginia.