The Palisade

The Palisade. Protecting Bethabara and its neighbors during a turbulent time in history.. The French and Indian War was part of the Great War for Empire that spanned the globe from 1754 to 1763. It originated as a struggle between two European powers, France and England, and spread to the colonies under their influence. The war would draw thousands of Native Americans and colonists into the bloody conflict. Repercussions would be significant: the costly war doubled England's debt, and British Parliament chose to pay the debt off by taxing the colonists without their consent. These taxes would spark unrest in the colonies, eventually leading to the American Revolution. , Moravians settled Bethabara just before the outbreak of war in the colonies. Though most of the major battles were fought farther north, the town still felt the effects of war. Local militia trampled crops and caused drunken disorder during musters near the town. Trade with surrounding settlements dwindled and supplies grew source as threats of attack drew closer. In response to a rumor that the Cherokee had switched alliance to the French, the Moravians erected a defensive palisade, or fortified wall, around Bethabara and the mill site. Many refugees along the Yadkin River took shelter with the Moravians during the next few years, especially in 1759 when their homes were raided by the Cherokee during the Cherokee War. , Due to overcrowded conditions in the forts, disease spread fast, culminating in a deadly typhus outbreak in 1759 that took the lives of both refugees and Moravians alike, including Bethabara's physician, Dr. Kalberlahn. , When the war ended in 1763, tensions eased and the fort was demolished in 1764. Salem, meant to be founded much sooner, was finally established in 1766. , In 2012, Historic Bethabara Park, Inc. took down the first reconstructed palisade fort that was falling into disrepair and replaced it with a new one. Both reconstructed forts were placed in the exact location of the original, which was found through Dr. Stanley South's archaeological work. , [Captions] , . Top: Christoph Vogler rifle, ca. 1785-1795, Salem, NC Collection of Old Salem Museums and Gardens, Acc. 5715.1. Gift of the McGee family in memory of Janet Berrier McGee and Ray Ellis Berrier , . Bottom left: The first palisade reconstruction was built by Dr. Stanley South and his team after excavating Bethabara's foundations.