Georgetown County Library to host “A Glorious Cause: South Carolina and the American Revolution”

The Georgetown County Library (GCL) is pleased to announce a series of upcoming public educational programs as part of “A Glorious Cause: South Carolina and the American Revolution: A Public History Initiative of the Georgetown County Library.” The programs, which will be free and open to the public, will take place at each of GCL’s 5 facilities across Georgetown County from March 2026 through June 2026.

“A Glorious Cause” will illustrate the Palmetto State’s exceptional role in securing American independence while exploring the colonial society that shaped the rising nation’s thinkers and fighters.

The project is made possible by a $39,300 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the South Carolina State Library (SCSL). This federal funding will cover 66 percent of the total costs of the project, while $22,100 (or 34 percent) of the total costs will be financed by non-government sources.

“A Glorious Cause” programs will elucidate not only significant historical figures and events of the American Revolution—including those with local ties like Francis Marion, Thomas Lynch, and the Marquis de Lafayette—but also the rich intellectual and social life of the era, including the literature, art, music, dance, and cuisine that defined the spirit of the new nation. The series of 18 free public educational presentations will begin on Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 a.m. at Georgetown Library (405 Cleland Street, Georgetown, SC 29440), with programs in subsequent months held at each of GCL’s 4 remaining library sites: Andrews Library, Carvers Bay Library, Southern Georgetown Library, and Waccamaw Library.

In connection with ongoing 250^th anniversary celebrations of the United States, of South Carolina, and of Georgetown County, “A Glorious Cause” programs will feature experts from far and near who will expand our understanding of the Revolution and South Carolina’s central role in forging the new nation. Notable presenters, to name but a few, include:

• Renowned Oxford professor Dr. Nicholas Cole, Director of the Quill Project, on new research into America’s founding documents;
• Keith Gourdin, great-great-great nephew of General Francis Marion, on family connections and history involving his famous military ancestor;
• National award-winning storyteller Tim Lowry demonstrating colonial parlor games and dances;
• Historian and fiddler Zachary Lemhouse explaining and performing popular Revolutionary songs;
• Clemson professor Dr. Lee Wilson on how treason was exploited as a political weapon during the Revolution; and
• Famed chef and author Sallie Ann Robinson on historic Gullah foodways of the period.

Presentations will be filmed and made available for national audiences on the popular Georgetown County Library YouTube channel. To complement the series, the Georgetown Library will host 2 free public exhibits from the South Carolina State Museum in conjunction with “Glorious Cause” programs: “Resilience & Revolution: Native Peoples in 18^th Century South Carolina” in April-May 2026 and “The American Revolutionary War in South Carolina” in June-July 2026.

In addition, the LSTA grant will enable the purchase of hundreds of carefully selected adult nonfiction books—distributed throughout the library system—on the Revolution, on South Carolina’s contributions, and on colonial society. Moreover, through this grant funding, GCL will become the first public library in South Carolina—and one of the earliest in the U.S.—to employ Reduct, a cutting-edge AI-powered tool that enables rapid and highly accurate transcriptions of archived video holdings into texts. These transcriptions will be hosted on the Georgetown County Digital Library, founded in 2010 with major support from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation. This digital archive now encompasses approximately 60,000 items and is accessed internationally by over 7,000 patrons monthly. It also feeds directly into the Digital Public Library of America, expanding our reach exponentially.

Together, these materials, activities, and services will highlight—in an ongoing and widespread manner—a vital story of revolutionary courage, creativity, and community that continues to resonate today. In addition to IMLS and SCSL, “A Glorious Cause” has enthusiastic support from community partners, including Coastal Carolina University’s HTC Honors College, Georgetown 250, the Georgetown County Museum, GCL’s Friends groups, and the South Carolina Maritime Museum.

Here is a schedule of dates, locations, and presenters for “A Glorious Cause: South Carolina and the American Revolution” programs.

“A Glorious Cause: South Carolina and the American Revolution”
A Public History Initiative of the Georgetown County Library and supported by an LSTA grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Sciences administered by the South Carolina State Library

Georgetown Library 405 Cleland Street, Georgetown, SC 29440
March 2026 / Wednesdays at 10am

• Wednesday, March 11: Tim Lowry, Award-winning Storyteller, “Food, Fashion, & Frivolity: Inside a Revolutionary Parlor”
• Thursday, March 12: Zachary Lemhouse, Historian/Violinist, “Songs of the American Revolution: A Historical Presentation & Performance”
• Wednesday, March 18: Sara A. Rich, Maritime Archaeologist/Rhode Island School of Design, “A Revolutionary War Shipwreck in the Cooper River” *In partnership with the South Carolina Maritime Museum
• Wednesday, March 25: Christopher Judge, Native American Studies Center/USC Lancaster, “Native Life in Revolutionary South Carolina”
• April-May 2026: “Resilience & Revolution: Native Peoples in 18^th Century South Carolina” exhibit at Georgetown Library

Waccamaw Library 41 Saint Paul Place, Pawleys Island, SC 29585
April 2026 / Thursdays at 10am

• Thursday, April 2: Steven D. Smith, South Carolina Institute for Archaeology & Anthropology, “Francis Marion & the Snow’s Island Community: Myth, History, & Archaeology”
• Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m.: Nicholas Cole, Quill Project/University of Oxford, “Re-examining Founding Documents of the Revolution” *In partnership with Coastal Carolina University HTC Honors College
• Thursday, April 23: Beth Yarbrough, Author, “Preserving Colonial South Carolina’s Historic Buildings”
• Thursday, April 30: Elizabeth Chew, CEO/South Carolina Historical Society, “Art & the American Revolution”

Andrews Library 105 North Morgan Avenue, Andrews, SC 29510
May 2026 / Wednesdays at 10am

• Wednesday, May 6: Paige Sawyer, Chair/Francis Marion Interpretive Center, “Fascinating Facts about Francis Marion”
• Wednesday, May 13: Lee B. Wilson, Associate Professor of History/Clemson University, “Treason as Political Weapon in the American Revolution”
• Wednesday, May 20: Keith Gourdin, Francis Marion Descendant, “Family History & Connections with Francis Marion”

Southern Georgetown Library 4187 Powell Road, Georgetown, SC 29440
May 2026 / Thursdays at 2pm

• Thursday, May 7: Victoria A. Smalls, CEO/Smalls Cultural Resources, “The Social & Cultural Life of Gullah People in the SC Lowcountry during the Revolutinary Era”
• Thursday, May 14: Sallie Ann Robinson, Chef & Author, “Lowcountry Gullah Cuisine during the American Revolution”
• Thursday, May 21: Jennifaye Singleton, Sweetgrass Weaver, “Traditional Gullah Artforms of the Revolutionary Period”
• Friday May 29 at 11am: Hastings Hensel, Guide/River Reader Kayaking, “Kayak Tour of Battle of Black Mingo Site” – Registration is required for this event: email [email protected]

Carvers Bay Library 13048 Choppee Road, Hemingway, SC 29554
June 2026 / Thursdays at 2pm

• Thursday, June 4: Steve Williams, Author, “African Americans and the Revolutionary War”
• Thursday, June 11: Pelor Richards, Cultural Interpreter, “Roots & Resilience: Gullah Life in the Revolutionary Era”
• Thursday, June 18: Lee G. Brockington, Author, “Patriots & Loyalists: The Battle at Home”
• June-July 2026: “The American Revolutionary War in South Carolina” exhibit at Georgetown Library