Revolutionary War event integrates science, history in Florence

FLORENCE — ScienceSouth and the Francis Marion Trail Commission hosted their second annual “Revolutionary Era Transportation: Bridles and Boats” event Saturday at Freedom Florence.

It was a journey back in time where children learned different aspects of life in South Carolina in the 18th century.

Before planes, trains and automobiles, there were horses and boats.

David Grant from Carolina Marsh Tacky Outdoors brought two of his horses as examples of what General Francis Marion and his troops used during the American Revolution.

Children built boats and tested them in pools as they learned about Brown’s Ferry Vessel, a ferry ship from the 1700’s, which is the oldest ship on exhibit in the United States in Georgetown, S.C.

“A lot of people don’t know that South Carolina has such a rich history, especially of that time and event,”said Erin Powers, interim director of ScienceSouth.

Francis Marion Associate Professor Dr. Chris Kennedy and some of his students were on hand to give people a real taste of the Revolutionary War era.

They served traditional foods such as sweet potatoes, pine bark stew, shepherd’s pie and apple compote.

War reenactors gave talks on how to load and shoot muskets and the traditional method of sewing clothes and other materials.

Powers felt it was important for ScienceSouth to host an event were children could learn and experience hands-on what life was like in this era of history.

“We wanted to get the science and history intermingled together,” Powers said.