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CARNTOGHER
TO CONGRESS
From County Derry
to the birth of a nation
Walk in the footsteps of Charles Thomson, a young emigrant from Maghera who would go on to become Secretary of the Continental Congress and play a central role in the creation of the United States.
CARNT0GHER MOUNTAIN • MAGHERA • COUNTY DERRY
WHAT IF THE STORY OF
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
BEGAN HERE?
Long before Charles Thomson sat at the heart of the American Revolution, he was a young boy from County Derry.
His story began here — in the landscape around Maghera and Carntogher.
On this experience, we explore the people, places and stories that shaped his early life and follow the extraordinary journey that carried him across the Atlantic and into the centre of a revolution.
It is a story about what happened
after he left.
MEET CHARLES THOMSON
The Maghera boy who helped shape America
Born in Maghera in 1729, Charles Thomson left Ireland for America in 1739. He would become one of the most important — and least remembered — figures of the American Revolution.
For almost fifteen years, he served as Secretary of the Continental Congress, recording the proceedings of the body that guided the colonies through revolution and independence.
His name appeared alongside John Hancock’s on the first printed copies of the Declaration of Independence.
In 1782, Thomson also played a central role in the final design of the Great Seal of the United States
1729
BORN IN MAGHERA
1774
APPOINTED SECRETARY OF CONGRESS
1782
HELPS SHAPE THE GREAT SEAL
FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS
Carntogher to Congress
Walk the landscape that shaped a remarkable journey.
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Following old roads and mountain paths around Carntogher, discover the stories, folklore and places Charles Thomson would have known before leaving Ireland for America.
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From tales of rapparees and the Sí to the Emigrant’s Cairn high on the mountain, each stop reveals another layer of the landscape he left behind.
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At the summit, stand where generations took one last look home — and consider how a boy from Maghera came to play his part in the birth of a nation.
OLD ROADS & STORIES
Climb to the place of one last look home
THE EMIGRANT'S CAIRN
Rapparees, folklore and the landscape Thomson knew
A STORY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
From Maghera to the American Revolution
ONE LAST LOOK HOME
Before the journey, there was the leaving
FROM CARNTOGHER TO CONGRESS
A journey that crossed an ocean and helped shape a nation
MAGHERA
DERRY
THE ATLANTIC
AMERICA
PHILADELPHIA
WALK THE STORY FOR YOURSELF
Follow in the footsteps of Charles Thomson, from the landscape of his childhood to the story that helped shape America.
LOCATION
Carntogher Mountain, Maghera
DURATION
Approx. 3 hours
EXPERIENCE
Private & small groups
A guided hillwalking experience on uneven mountain terrain. Suitable footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are essential.