Site Manager, Alamance Battleground State Historic Site
When Nathan Schultz steps into 18th-century clothing, he’s not just interpreting history. He’s building a bridge between the past and present, sometimes with oxen in tow.
Nathan grew up in Gloucester County, Virginia, just across the York River from Yorktown. Surrounded by Revolutionary War history from an early age, he found a natural calling in public history and living history interpretation. Today, he serves as the site manager at Alamance Battleground, where he continues to explore the lives of ordinary people who shaped extraordinary events.
Nathan is especially drawn to interpreting working-class farmers and militiamen, individuals who made up the vast majority of the population during the 1700s. For him, it’s about making history feel immediate and relatable.
"Most people descend from farmers at some point," he says. "Historic clothing is a great tool for sparking conversations. It helps connect the small details of daily life in the 18th century to the experiences of modern visitors."
With a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Mary Washington, Nathan has spent years honing his craft at cultural institutions such as the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and Fort Ticonderoga. His expertise goes beyond storytelling. He’s skilled in ox driving, historic firearms and artillery, black powder safety, hearth cooking, and baking. It’s not unusual to find him firing a musket one day and baking bread over an open fire the next.
Nathan is also passionate about preserving intangible cultural heritage, the skills, knowledge, and traditions that can’t be stored in a display case. He serves on the board of ALHFAM, the Association of Living History Farms and Agricultural Museums, an international organization that supports professionals in the field of living history.
And as for the strangest thing a visitor has ever said to him? That would be, “I know you... from one of my past lives.” According to Nathan, this has happened more than once.
At Alamance Battleground, Nathan helps lead the interpretation of the 1771 Regulator Movement, a grassroots uprising of backcountry farmers seeking justice in the face of government corruption. It was a movement that dealt with fundamental issues of power, equity, and accountability. These are issues that remain relevant today.
Whether he’s working with oxen, baking over a hearth, or bringing a militia soldier’s story to life, Nathan Schultz is making sure the voices of everyday people from the past still have something to say today.
Plan Your Visit
In 1771, the Regulator Movement reached a boiling point as backcountry farmers confronted colonial officials over corruption, taxation, and abuses of power. Though the rebellion was ultimately crushed, the questions they raised about government accountability still echo today.
Come explore the site, walk the historic battlefield, and learn more about this pivotal moment in North Carolina’s history.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site
5803 N.C. 62 S
Burlington, N.C. 27215
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guided Tours: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Closed Sunday, Monday, and most major holidays.