Oct. 7: Morganton Public Library to open Revolutionary War exhibits with historian Michael C. Hardy

Morganton Public Library will open two traveling exhibits about the American Revolution at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The opening will include a reception, a presentation by North Carolina historian Michael C. Hardy, and a signing of his newest book. The exhibits will remain on display through Oct. 30.

Opening night falls on the 246th anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain, a Revolutionary War battle with a direct connection to Burke County.

On Sept. 30, 1780, Patriot militia from the western frontier and other parts of North Carolina gathered at Quaker Meadows, in what is now Morganton. Nearly 1,400 men assembled there, and their commanders met beneath a tree that became known as the Council Oak.

The force camped at Quaker Meadows before continuing south toward Kings Mountain.

The two exhibits tell the story from different perspectives.

“Forging a Nation: The American Revolution and the Path to Independence” explores North Carolina’s role in the Revolution. “March to Kings Mountain” follows the Overmountain Men and their journey toward the Oct. 7, 1780, battle.

Quaker Meadows is commemorated today along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.

Hardy will discuss his new book, “Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee in the American Revolution.” The book examines the people and conflicts that shaped the Southern Appalachian backcountry during the war, including the events that led to Kings Mountain.

Hardy was named the 2010 North Carolina Historian of the Year by the North Carolina Society of Historians.

The opening, presentation, and book signing will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at Morganton Public Library.

For more information, contact Laurie Johnston with Burke County Public Library at 828-764-9266 or ljohnston@bcpls.org.

— AKC