Epic Patriot Camp celebrates one year of independence

One year after Virtual Epic Patriot Camp 2025: Independence, Christopher J. Watt reflects on this final chapter of the virtual camp era. EPC 2025 was the last of its kind; an exclusive opportunity for past campers to showcase their maturity and independence in concluding the Epic Story of America anthological trilogy.

Inside the Epic Patriot Camp finale

Throughout the experience, authors Christopher J. Watt and Ella Quill directed the campers in crafting their own stories of American Independence, providing personalised feedback and critique for each one. Alongside the history and writing was a sense of unity and camaraderie, which included virtual birthday celebrations, fun social meetings, spirited competitions, guest speakers, and tailored keynote presentations from both directors.  

The result was a collection of chapters about a broad range of significant historical figures who played an important role in the American Revolution's conclusion, published last September as book three: Independence: 1780-1783.

Continuing the legacy

Since its beginning, the mission of Epic Patriot Camp has remained the same: to train up, inspire, and equip the next generation of historians and authors. The virtual camps continued this, with students getting the chance to research a Patriot, Loyalist, or foreign sympathiser in the American Revolution.  

And though publishing a book is a tremendous moment, the true legacy of Virtual Epic Patriot Camp is seeing the growth and maturity of its campers. 

Many campers remain in contact with one another and are now writing their own stories inspired by history, liberty, and most of all, independence. Some have dived deeper into the embodiment of their characters, including taking on roles such as General Nathanael Greene and Catherine Moore Barry for re-enactments. For others, their pathways have changed, such as studying law at university following inspiration from Patrick Henry and Alexander Hamilton.  Still others have appeared at conferences and homeschool conventions to market themselves as authors in their own right. It is a joy not only to witness how each young writer is setting off to make his or her own history, but it's also an honour to have been part of.  

Looking ahead

Jenny L. Cote and Libby McNamee, the award-winning authors who founded the original Virtual Epic Patriot Camps, continue to work on their own respective series—Cote on her fourth Revolutionary novel in the Epic Order of the Seven, and McNamee on her fourth historical fiction novel in Remember the Ladies. They have expressed their excitement and hopes for the graduated campers:  

It is our hope and prayer that this next generation of writing eagles will grow into their white feathers as they soar across new pages of history, authoring countless books in the years to come... Huzzah for the talented writers of the next generation!

One year on, the legacy of Epic Patriot Camp endures in the pages of the books the campers wrote, and the lives, ambitions, and independence of each life that the camps influenced. History has come alive to the next generation, and it is our hope that it will continue to impact today's history-making.