North Carolina
& the
Revolutionary War
An evening exploring North Carolina's role in the fight for American independence.
About This Evening
When North Carolina answered the call.
Long before the famous battles of the Northern campaigns, the mountains and piedmont of western North Carolina were already a theater of war. The foothills we know as Polk County and the landscape stretching toward Kings Mountain witnessed some of the most consequential moments of the Southern campaign — moments that helped turn the tide of the Revolution.
This July, the Tryon History Museum invites you to an evening with filmmaker John Oliver, a Polk County native who has spent years bringing this story to the screen. His forthcoming feature film Revolutionary! traces the events leading to the British defeat at the Battle of Kings Mountain and shines a long-overdue light on the local Battle of Earles Ford — a chapter of the war that happened in our own backyard.
Doors open at 4:00 pm for refreshments. The program begins at 5:00 pm. Free and open to the public.
coming soon
About the Speaker
John Oliver
Filmmaker · Polk County Native
John Oliver is a Polk County native and longtime motion picture industry professional based in Columbus, NC. He is currently producing Revolutionary!, a forthcoming feature film set in the mountains and piedmont of western North Carolina and South Carolina.
The film traces the events leading to the pivotal British defeat at the Battle of Kings Mountain and brings renewed attention to the local Battle of Earles Ford — placing Polk County at the center of a story that helped determine the outcome of the American Revolution. Oliver is collaborating with director Nick Searcy on the production.
His presentation at the Tryon History Museum offers an early look at the film and the history driving it — a rare opportunity to hear a filmmaker talk about a story that began, quite literally, in these hills.
Read more about Revolutionary! →The past isn't behind us. It's with us.
Tryon History Museum