British inroads into South Carolina following the 1778 Capture of Savannah were repeatedly confounded by the resourceful militia forces of Beaufort District, north and south of the Broad. Trace their activities and learn more about some of the individuals whose courage and dedication had a direct impact on the Continental Army’s success in gaining independence from English rule.

Richard Thomas is an experienced global business executive and successful entrepreneur having served as CEO, President or Executive Vice President in seven different ventures in four diverse industries.

Mr. Thomas graduated from Princeton University with a degree in East Asian Studies and did graduate field work in Cultural Anthropology in Thailand. He worked as a linguist team leader in Special Operations Intelligence while in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He speaks three languages: English, Chinese-Mandarin and Thai.

He was co-founder of Battlefield Leadership, a global consulting and training company, where he guided the development and delivery of industry-leading leadership seminars involving historic battlefields in the United States and Europe.

He is very involved in local historical organizations such as the Heritage Library, Santa Elena Foundation, and Friends of Honey Hill Board. He is Chairman of the Beaufort County 250 Committee responsible for planning local celebrations of the nation's Semiquincentennial. He wrote Backwater Frontier: Beaufort County, South Carolina at the Forefront of American History (2018). His current research interest is focused on the early colonial period of St. Helena and Prince William's parishes in Beaufort District.

The "Historically Speaking" local history series brought to you by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort County Historical Society. This session is co-sponsored by the Beaufort County 250th Committee. The lecture will begin at 11 AM. Admittance is first come; first seated. Doors open at 10:30 AM.