Overview

Positioned at the crossroads of critical trade routes that linked Cherokee territory to the city of Charleston, the town of Ninety Six was a seat of power in the British colony of South Carolina. Ninety Six in the 1700s was a land of hope and opportunity, of conflict and revenge, a land of frontier justice. This was the site of violent struggles between Cherokee and settlers and among settlers themselves - those loyal to the King pitted against "Patriots" for freedom. Ninety Six played a significant role in the struggle for American independence from British rule. It was the site of the first southern land battle of the Revolutionary War in 1775, and the scene of the longest field siege in 1781.