The Search for Fort Rutledge and the Battle of Esseneca: An Archaeological and Historical Assessment of a Revolutionary War Fortification in Clemson, SC

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In August 1776, South Carolina militia forces provoked the Cherokee into the Battle of Esseneca which resulted in the destruction of the town and later the construction of Fort Rutledge upon its remnants. This fort and battle, located on Clemson University campus, had a devastating impact on the Cherokee. Through a pattern of violence that encouraged the destruction of noncombatants, villages, and agricultural resources, the Cherokee were effectively pushed out of their historic territory. The Battle of Esseneca literally and symbolically cleared the way for the growth of the plantation economy in the Upstate region. While the University has begun the process of reckoning with its history as a site of former enslavement, the impact colonial settlement had on the region has largely been ignored. This paper outlines the ongoing search for, and interpretation of the archaeological remains of Fort Rutledge and the town of Esseneca which it replaced.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow