The True Spirit of Freedom
LIBERTY! continues its 41st season performances on Thursday, July 18, “Veterans Night at Liberty!”
On Veterans Night we honor and thank our veterans and an escort by offering them free admission.
Watching the cast of Liberty! share the stories of Sycamore Shoals is humbling, exciting, and above all…….inspirational. Comprised of over 100 volunteers, our neighbors from throughout the Tri-Cities and beyond, come together each January to begin auditions and rehearsals for the July drama. Giving an enormous amount of time and energy, they ask nothing in return – just the opportunity to be a part of ensuring that historic events of national significance are always remembered. Within their hearts you will find a passion and strong desire to honor our ancestors – patriots in the truest sense of the word.
Leaving the comforts of home, long hunters, and then families, began 
leaving the 13 English colonies to begin a new life, free of the rule of the British king. They crossed over the mountains beyond the Proclamation Line of 1763 discovering land that was cleared, yet uninhabited. The “Old Fields” of the Watauga quickly became the heart of frontier settlements on land belonging to the Cherokee. Set in the 1770’s, Liberty! relates the good times and the sad times; the struggles and the sacrifices – of families who were willing to take incredible risks to create a democratic society against a multitude of obstacles.
Liberty opens its second week of performances on Thursday, July 18, and continues Thursday through Saturday through July 27th. With just two more weeks to go, we hope you will mark your calendars now to attend the 41st season performances of Tennessee’s Official Outdoor Drama – Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Set beside the Watauga River, the story unfolds with Fort Watauga as the backdrop. The outdoor amphitheater provides bench seating with backs and an opportunity to sample great food within a short distance from your seat, at Carter’s Store.
Liberty! 2019 performance dates – Thursday through Saturday, July 11 – 13, July 18 – 20 and the 25 – 27, closing the 41st season on Saturday, July 27th. For additional information please contact the park at:
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park
1651 W. Elk Avenue
Elizabethton, TN 37643
423-543-5808
Advance Ticket Reservations: www.thelibertydrama.com
and above all…….inspirational. Comprised of over 100 volunteers, our neighbors from throughout the Tri-Cities and beyond, come together each January to begin auditions and rehearsals for the July drama. Giving an enormous amount of time and energy, they ask nothing in return – just the opportunity to be a part of ensuring that historic events of national significance are always remembered. Within their hearts you will find a passion and strong desire to honor our ancestors – patriots in the truest sense of the word.
Liberty opens its second week of performances on Thursday, July 19, and continues Thursday through Saturday through July 28th. With just two more weeks to go, we hope you will mark your calendars now to attend the 40th anniversary performances of Tennessee’s Official Outdoor Drama – Liberty! The Saga of Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Liberty! opens its 40th season of outdoor drama at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park on Thursday, July 12th and runs for 3 weekends, Thursday through Saturday each week, offering the opportunity for you to become immersed in our regions history. The sacrifices of our ancestors and their strong desire for freedom played a critical role in our nation’s ultimate independence from Great Britain and the creation of America as a new nation. 
dramatic presentation of the story of Sycamore Shoals, took place in 1922, when the people living in the communities of Elizabethton and Carter County came together to present a five act play. Jim Bishop, one of Elizabethton’s most important leaders in historic preservation, came across the program prepared for the 1922 event. “Our stories have been told from one generation to the next; to our families and our children. These are stories of our ancestors, the people who were instrumental in the formation of our new country – America, with a government based on the principles of democracy and freedom! The drama presented in 1922 was the earliest known play presented here, which featured veterans from World War I.”
The series of events that unfolded at Sycamore Shoals were critical to the formation of our state and our nation in the 18th century. These dramatic chapters in America’s westward expansion set the tone for a number of events that helped propel the British colonies towards independence and a democratic form of government.
Michael Barnett, President of Friends of Sycamore Shoals, has tirelessly devoted himself to the successful production of Liberty! “It is heartwarming and humbling, to see over 100 volunteers come together, beginning in January each year, to share their time with us in telling one of America’s most important stories.”
Ultimately, the Watauga Association, the first majority-rule system of American democratic government was formed in 1772, when the settlers elected five of their number to “govern and direct for the common good of all the people.” These Articles of the Watauga Association invested in those elected representatives the legislative, judicial and executive functions of their fledgling government.
private land holder’s farm. The fort became a refuge and means of protection for all of the families living along the Watauga when Dragging Canoe, aided by English agents, waged war against the pioneers, determined to drive them from the lands they felt they had purchased.
SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE HISTORIC PARK 