Experience the American dream with today’s Patriots of the Past interview. I’m your host, John Gillespie.
It’s April 29, 1780. I’m in Nancy Hart’s Georgia home.
JG: “Mrs. Hart, I understand you just had some commotion in your house.”
NH: “Well, them five red coats broke into my home, ate my children’s victuals, and was yellin’ at ’em. I got ’em good and drunk, took their muskets, shot a couple of ’em, and waited till my husband got home and took the rest to prison. Ain’t no red coat gonna violate my home, hurt my children, and take my freedom.”
The state of Georgia was so impressed with Nancy Hart’s bravery they named a county after her.
In Hartwell, Georgia, the Nancy Hart historical marker reads, “Erected by the government of the United States, in the year 1931, to commemorate the heroism of Nancy Hart.
“During the American Revolution, a party of British Tories came to her home. Single-handed, she killed one and wounded another. The remainder of the party surrendered and were later hanged by her and a few of her neighbors.”
John and Jan Gillespie are the founders of the Rawhide Boys’ Ranch; they have fostered 351 teenagers and wrote the book Our 351 Sons; they have also assisted numerous churches in developing youth programs and expanding their total church ministries. After running for U.S. Senate, John founded 1776 American Dream, which exists to demonstrate the vision of our founding fathers and help our generation of youth passionately embrace those values.
