By the Sweat of Our Brows

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this living history event centers on the experience of enslaved people of African descent during the war. The story of liberty in the Brattonsville community took root in many ways during this period, and its legacy is still evident in current generations of descendants.

Ongoing activities

• Meet the Descendants—talk with descendants of both the Bratton family and the people enslaved on the Bratton Plantation.
• “Look With Your Hands” tour of an 18th century house, from the perspective of Polly (Watt’s wife).
• 18th century cooking demonstration
• Blacksmithing demonstration, emphasis on the people enslaved at Hill’s Ironworks
• Shelling corn—hands-on activity, with emphasis on the kinds of work done and food eaten on 18th century farms
• 7th Regiment of Foot (British Army) encampment, with emphasis on the role the British Army played in freedom-seeking trends among enslaved people in South Carolina

Timed activities

• Calling of the Names—William Bratton’s 1813 will (the earliest comprehensive list of people enslaved on the Bratton farm) and the 1865 Freedmen’s List (11 a.m.).
• Brattonsville site tours: Huck’s Defeat battlefield tour, featuring the stories of Watt, Weaver George, and Miller Sam (11:30 a.m.) What Happened Next? site tour, focusing on the 19th century (1:30 p.m.).
• Keynote presentation: “‘To The Last Drop of Blood:’ African Americans in the American Revolution,” CHM Historian Zach Lemhouse (12:30 p.m.)
• Descendants presentation (2:30 p.m.)

Ongoing — Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground tours, highlighting Watt’s headstone.

Historical Center table—18th century York County court records and wills referencing enslaved people and newspaper articles featuring Watt’s story.