Shippen Manor, an 18th c. former iron master's residence associated with historic Oxford Furnace will be celebrating its 270th year. Join us for self-guided tours of the main floor of the museum, visit with reenactors and interpreters from the French & Indian, Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and stop by the tables of state and county groups. Parking is off-site within walking distance in town (see Warren200.com and our Facebook) with limited accessible handicap parking on site. The museum is reasonably accessible. This is a family-friendly event. While the event is free to the public, the Friends of Shippen do accept donations for the museum.

Free Admission

Website: http://www.warren200.com

“A Revolutionary Friendship: Washington, Jefferson, and the American Republic”

with Francis D Cogliano

This is a hybrid event.  Visitors may attend in-person in the Visitor Center Auditorium or virtually on Zoom.  Registration is required.  Log-in information provided at registration.

In partnership with the David Center and the American Philosophical Society Francis D. Cogliano will discuss his new book A Revolutionary Friendship: Washington, Jefferson, and the American Republic.

Cogliao examines the similarities and differences between the two statesmen whose estrangement mirrored key political fissures of the early United States, as the unity of revolutionary zeal gave way to competing visions for the new nation. A Revolutionary Friendship brilliantly captures the dramatic, challenging, and poignant reality that there was no single founding ideal—only compromise between friends and sometime rivals.  Register here.

Click Here to Register

East Jersey Old Town Village is a collection of historic structures relocated to Johnson Park in Piscataway. The village comprises sixteen reconstructed and replica 18th and 19th-century structures representing architecture typical of farm and merchant communities once found in the Raritan Valley. 

Visitors today can explore the site and meet the historical interpreters that bring the Village to life through their historic trades and crafts. A gateway site for the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, situated along the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, the Village offers awarding-winning exhibits, living history, and seasonal programs.

Cannon Crew and Color Guard.  Middlesex Contact: Matthew Stroh, Program Manager, Middlesex Division of Historic Sites & History Services.   Cannon Crew (Cannon demo hourly).  Contact:  Ed Glidden eglidden@yahoo.com 9176588838 

A battle between the Continentals and Redcoats at 2pm. Events all day include: Breakfast with the Troops, Martialing the kids, History Faire, Pirates, Pony rides, Learn sword fighting, Pillory for malcontents, Battle of the Brews, Yelling contest, Caricature and silhouette artists, Artisans at the Indian King Tavern Museum, Colonial dancing, and more. Military units: 1st New Jersey Redcoats, 2nd Pennsylvania Continentals, Washington Crossing Fife & Drum, and Queens Rangers on horseback. The Daughters of the American Revolution usually have a table at The Haddon Fortnightly.

For more information go to http://www.indiankingfriends.org

Contact: Philip Zoebisch pszoebisch@gmail.com

NJSSAR Battle of Monmouth at Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal, 100 College Road East Princeton, NJ 08540

Join Compatriots to hear all the news, speakers, and upcoming events. Break bread while we commemorate the actions of June 6, 1778, Battle of Monmouth.

Click here to register

FREEDOM: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution

 by Jack D. Warren Jr., The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati

Published under the auspices of the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution is a narrative history of the War for Independence. It tells the pivotal story of the courageous men and women who risked their lives to create a new nation based on the idea that government should serve people and protect their freedom. Written for Americans intent on understanding our national origins but also appropriate for teachers and secondary classrooms, Freedom argues that the American Revolution is the central event in our history: the turning point between our colonial origins and our national experience. This volume includes 167 full-color paintings, maps, illustrations, and photos—many seen only in historical institutions nationwide!

The narrative in FREEDOM spans from the American Revolution’s origins in the nature of colonial British America—a society in which freedom was limited and in which everyone was the subject of a distant monarch—through the crisis in the British Empire that followed the French and Indian War, to the events of the War for Independence itself, and ultimately to the creation of the first great republic in modern history. Ours is a shared, inspiring story of how Americans, united in their fight for freedom, became one nation with a shared history and national identity. It is a testament to the power of unity and shared values. It is the story of a generation of founders who expressed ideals of liberty, equality, natural and civil rights, and responsible citizenship: ideals that have shaped our history and will shape our future—and the world's future.

About the Author. Jack D. Warren, Jr., is a native of Washington, DC, whose work focuses on the enduring achievements of the American Revolution. He served on the faculty of the University of Virginia, where he was an editor of The Papers of George Washington. Subsequently, he was the executive director of The Society of Cincinnati and the founding director of The American Revolution Institute. His books include The Presidency of George Washington and America’s First Veterans. He and his wife, Janet, live in Alexandria, Virginia.

Presentation to the 2024 Recipient to be named

Today, a new-generation Mercer Oak grows at the battlefield as a symbol of the pivotal victory won by American soldiers on January 3 1777. The victory at Princeton ended the “ten crucial days” of 1776-77, during which the dynamics of the American Revolution were fundamentally altered in favor of independence. The Sons of the Revolution has continually demonstrated its dedication to the spirit of our struggle for independence and its advocacy of the history and heritage of the Battle of Princeton. This steadfast support is recognized by the 2023 Mercer Oak Award.

Past Mercer Oak Award recipients include Jerry Hurwitz (2017), past president of the Princeton Battlefield Society, Raoul Momo (2018) of the Terra Momo Restaurant Group, Peter J. Travers (2019) of Chase Field LLC, Mark & Rachel Herr (2021), Mark Herr Communications and Princeton history advocates, Roger S. Williams (2022), public historian and historical interpreter, and The Sons of the Revolution of New Jersey (2023).

The funds raised at this year’s Mercer Oak Award Reception will fund the new Battle of Princeton exhibit in the Thomas Clarke House Museum in the Park. Friends and associates of the Sons of the Revolution as well as members, donors and friends of the Princeton Battlefield Society are invited to join our recognition in any of the following ways:

• Attend the dinner (tickets are $100 per attendee).

• Place an ad or congratulatory message in the Mercer Oak Award program.

• Send a donation for inclusion in the Mercer Oak Award program.

• Contribute a gift to be used in the Silent Auction.

The Princeton Battlefield Society is the official friends organization for the Princeton Battlefield State Park. The Society organizes historical/educational events at the Park including Young Patriot’s Day (September), Experience the Battle of Princeton (December), battlefield tours, Park Clean Up Day (April), and commemorative events during various national holidays. Educational initiatives include Eyewitness of the American Revolution, battlefield signage, informational materials and exhibits, and preservation/protection programs. For more information see our website – www.pbs1777.org.

This unique show features American, French, British, and German cars representing the four countries involved in the Revolutionary War. Classic show-condition cars from model years 1998 and earlier are welcome in this class. There will also be an open class for cars of any make, model, and year. These prizes will be determined by peer judging.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the non-profit Friends of Washington Crossing Park’s historical and educational programming.

https://www.washingtoncrossingpark.org/event/rebels-and-redcoats-car-show-2023/

A Family Day of Fun and American History!

1. Free Gifts for all Registered Families

2. Demonstrations & Drilling with the New Jersey Grays

3. Talk with George Washington and Ben Franklin

4. Artillery and Musket firing

5. Information by Area Historical Organizations and Sites

6. Living Historian Demonstrations

7. Tours of the Thomas Clarke House & Museum

Updates at PBS1777.org

Click here to Register young patriots today and receive your souvenirs when you arrive

Sponsored in part by NJM Inshurance Group and with funds from the Mercer County Division of Culture, Tourism and Heritage, a partner of the New Jersey Historical Commission.

Lafayette and Bucks County with Colin Zimmerman, Historian, Washington Crossing Historic Park

This is a hybrid event.  Visitors may attend in-person in the Visitor Center Auditorium or virtually on Zoom. Registration required.  Log-in information provided at registration.

In 1824 the Marquis de Lafayette returned to America for a tour that reunited him with many of his fellow Revolutionary War veterans.  In September 1824, while en route to New York, he travelled through Bucks County – a place he’d been many times during the war.  To mark the bicentennial of his return military historian Colin Zimmerman will explore Lafayette’s legacy and the time he spent in Bucks County during the revolution.

Click Here to Register

Bicentennial of the Farewell Tour for the Marquis de Lafayette

Reception. Details to follow.

Sponsored by the Westfield Chapter, New Jersey Daughters of the American Revolution

Contact: Julie Diddell Juliediddell@yahoo.com

Bicentennial of the Farewell Tour for the Marquis de Lafayette

Lecture and Commemoration. Details to follow

Contact: Brad Fay bradford.fay@gmail.com

Bicentennial of the Farewell Tour for the Marquis de Lafayette

Lecture and Commemoration. Details to follow

Contact: Brad Fay bradford.fay@gmail.com

"The Whiskey Rebellion: A Distilled History of an American Crisis" with Brady Crytzer

This is a hybrid event.  Visitors may attend in-person in the Visitor Center Auditorium or virtually on Zoom. Registration required.  Log-in information provided at registration.

Join historian Brady Crytzer as he discusses his book The Whiskey Rebellion:  A Distilled History of an American Crisis. 

In March 1791 Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton shocked the western frontier when he proposed a tax on whiskey to balance America’s national debt. The law, known  as the “Whiskey Act,” disproportionately penalized farmers in the backcountry, while offering favorable tax incentives designed to protect larger distillers. Settlers in Western Pennsylvania bristled at its passage and demanded that the law be revoked or rewritten to correct its perceived the injustices.  As the months passed people  grew restless with the inadequacy of the government’s response and they soon turned to more violent means of political expression.   In response President George Washington raised one of the largest forces he ever commanded to suppress the rebellion. No major battle ever occurred, but weeks of arrests, illegal detentions, and civil rights violations rocked the west. The event polarized the nation.

Click Here to Register

Commemoration and memorial service for the 1778 Battle of Chestnut Neck. For more information about the battle, click here. This annual National SAR Color Guard event is hosted by the Somers Chapter.

Following the 10am service, we will move to Port Republic grave marking ceremony in Port Republic which is about 5 minutes away.

1. 1130am for the Micajah Smith grave marking (Patriot Ancestor of South Jersey Chapter member Kenneth McGill.)

2. Port Republic City Hall will be open for light refreshments following the ceremony.

3. Attending: Serfass, McGill, Williams, Magnum

Celebrating our Agricultural Heritage and our Revolutionary War Heritage Featuring a Commemoration of the Battle of Petticoat Bridge and Iron Works Hill.

Featuring a Town Tractor Parade, Old Time Agricultural Power and equipment, Historical Displays and exhibits, Local Farm Produce & 􀀋1arkets, History and educational Speakers, Crafts, Demonstrations, Field Day Activities, Music, Food Vendors ... and More!

Sponsored by Springfield Township Community Day. For Vendor information, contact info@springfieldtownshipnj.org

Join in the commemoration of the 1777 assault on Fort Mercer of the grounds surrounding the original fort in Red Bank Battle Field Park, National Park, NJ. The anniversary of this important Philadelphia Campaign attack should be an especially interesting and action-filled event. At this event, guests can tour the Whitall House. Constructed in 1748 for James and Ann Whitall, this house was designed in the Georgian style and became the centerpiece of their 400-acre plantation on the banks of the Delaware River. During the American Revolution, the house was adjacent to Fort Mercer, the site of a colonists’ victory over the Hessians. Following the battle, the house was used as a hospital. Acquired by the county in 1904, the house and grounds are interpreted as Red Bank Battlefield Park and are open to the public on a daily basis for recreation.

Click here for more information about the Battle of Red Bank and the Whitall House.

NATIONAL COLOR GUARD EVENT:

The Memorial service for the 14 Continental Soldiers killed as a result of the Battle of Red bank will start at 1 PM and include the following highlights:

1. Special Memorial Service for the 14 Rhode Island soldiers for the 1st and 2nd Rhode Island Regiment. We hope to include a representative from the 1st or 2nd RI Regiment and the Hessian Unit.

2. Jen Janofsky, Curator/Director of Red Bank Battlefield, is scheduled to speak

3. Honored during the ceremony will be recognition of the Hessian Soldiers who gave their lives that day. A speaker will overview the recent archaeological dig at the North end of the park, unveiling bone fragments from over 17 Hessians. Specific identification of the fragments is still being conducted. This is the largest find of Hessian soldier remains from the Revolutionary War.

4. Legacy Marker/Heritage Flag Ceremony is planned to be conducted after the Memorial Service

5. Contact: Tim Ogline, SJCSAR President, Larry Nelson, SJCSAR Secretary

6. Color Guard: F&D? Arrive 1215. Events starts 1-1:15, Legacy follows; Reenactment 2:15

7. Attending: Ogline, Nelson, McGill, Williams, Serfass, Davis,

NJSSAR Luncheon at Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal, 100 College Road East Princeton, NJ 08540 There will be a meeting of the Board of Managers at 9:00 AM. The BOM is reserved for the voting members, or guests of the NJSSAR Board of Managers including NJSSAR Chapter Presidents, Officers, or Committee Chairs.

The Reception and Luncheon are open to all members of any Lineage Organization, their families, and guests. The Reception will begin at 12:00 PM, and the meeting/luncheon will begin at 12:15 PM. For costs and meal choice, contact NJSSAR Secretary Ed Glidden, eglidden@yahoo.com, (917) 658-8838

Held at the venerable Brown Hotel in Louisville Kentucky, Committee meetings, camaraderie, awards, and fun! Details will be posted on SAR.org

The Traversing the Ten Crucial Days Bus Tour begins at Washington Crossing, PA. From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, you will retrace the “…times that tried men’s souls.” From the 25 December 1776 crossing of the Delaware through to the Battle of Princeton, 3 January 1777.  You will learn about the military engagements between the remaining rag-tag elements of George Washington’s army against Hessian and British troops at Trenton, Princeton, and areas in between. Historical Interpreters will tell the remarkable stories of these ten days that breathed crucial new life into the expiring American Revolution. The events are discussed in the context of the local, strategically important, central Jersey towns, villages, and farms; occupied by families with diverse backgrounds; practicing varied religions, such as Quakers, Presbyterians, and Anglicans, and holding complex views on loyalty to the Revolution or the King. Hear how the terrain, weaponry, and weather influenced how the battles were fought and how they disrupted the lives of the local people. See where armies marched, fought, and struggled to survive on an otherwise peaceful landscape, while the course of human history hung in the balance.

Historical Interpreters: Tours are led by Larry Kidder, author of CROSSROADS OF THE REVOLUTION: Trenton 1774 – 1783, A PEOPLE HARASSED AND EXHAUSTED: The First Hunterdon County Militia and TEN CRUCIAL DAYS: Washington's Vision for Victory Unfolds, and Roger S. Williams; State Historian, New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Co-Founder of TenCrucialDays.org, a member of the Society of Military History, the Company of Military Historians, and Society for Historians of the Early American Republic.  Kidder and Williams are joined at each venue by the interpretive staff.

 Cost: $145 per person, including bus fare, lunch, and donations to selected tour sites. Limit: 56 Guests.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to officially recognized friends’ groups of the Ten Crucial Days Campaign venues.

For more information, Click Here.

Private Tours:  Click here for information about private customized tours.

Witness the Crossing That Saved the Revolution

Each December, thousands of people gather on the banks of the Delaware River to watch the reenactment of George Washington’s daring 1776 Christmas night river crossing. During the event, several hundred reenactors in Continental military dress listen to an inspiring speech by General Washington and then row across the river in replica Durham boats.

In addition to the crossing reenactment, special colonial-era activities and demonstrations in the Historic Village will offer a full day of family fun and learning.

TIME: 11 AM to 3 PM (actual crossing at 1 PM)
COST: $9 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-11, free for children younger than 5. Family rate (2 adults and 2 children) is $25.

Reserve your tickets https://www.washingtoncrossingpark.org/cross-with-us/

• 9:00 to 10:00 Hereditary Organization/Military Representative Commemorative Wreath Laying at Trenton Battle Monument

• 11:30 to 1:30 "First Crossing" Reenactment Washington Crossing Historic Park

• 01:30 2:15 Hereditary Organization/Military Representative Commemorative Wreath Laying at Washington Crossing Historic Park Wreath Laying

The Traversing the Ten Crucial Days Bus Tour begins at Washington Crossing, PA. From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, you will retrace the “…times that tried men’s souls.” From the 25 December 1776 crossing of the Delaware through to the Battle of Princeton, 3 January 1777.  You will learn about the military engagements between the remaining rag-tag elements of George Washington’s army against Hessian and British troops at Trenton, Princeton, and areas in between. Historical Interpreters will tell the remarkable stories of these ten days that breathed crucial new life into the expiring American Revolution. The events are discussed in the context of the local, strategically important, central Jersey towns, villages, and farms; occupied by families with diverse backgrounds; practicing varied religions, such as Quakers, Presbyterians, and Anglicans, and holding complex views on loyalty to the Revolution or the King. Hear how the terrain, weaponry, and weather influenced how the battles were fought and how they disrupted the lives of the local people. See where armies marched, fought, and struggled to survive on an otherwise peaceful landscape, while the course of human history hung in the balance.

Historical Interpreters: Tours are led by Larry Kidder, author of CROSSROADS OF THE REVOLUTION: Trenton 1774 – 1783, A PEOPLE HARASSED AND EXHAUSTED: The First Hunterdon County Militia and TEN CRUCIAL DAYS: Washington's Vision for Victory Unfolds, and Roger S. Williams; State Historian, New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Co-Founder of TenCrucialDays.org, a member of the Society of Military History, the Company of Military Historians, and Society for Historians of the Early American Republic.  Kidder and Williams are joined at each venue by the interpretive staff.

 Cost: $145 per person, including bus fare, lunch, and donations to selected tour sites. Limit: 56 Guests.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to officially recognized friends’ groups of the Ten Crucial Days Campaign venues.

For more information, Click Here.

Private Tours:  Click here for information about private customized tours.

Come experience our annual winter reenactment during Trenton's Patriots Week Celebration! On Saturday, December 28th, be immersed in history as you are surrounded by reenactors portraying the soldiers who fought during the Battles of Trenton, which ultimately shaped the destiny of the Revolutionary War and our nation. Follow the troops through the streets and watch as they relive the events of these fateful battles. Come back to interact with the soldiers, take tours of the oldest free-standing military barracks in North America, and visit The Quartermaster's Store. What better way to celebrate New Jersey’s revolutionary history than by celebrating this crucial Trenton victory?

Experience the excitement of the Battle of Trenton live! Following the all-night crossing and nine-mile march from McKonkey’s Ferry with a sleet storm at their backs, Washington’s little army of 2,400 men and 18 cannons arrived in Trenton around 8 AM on the morning of December 26, 1776. Generals Washington and Greene surrounded the northern part of town while General Sullivan struck the town along what is now West State Street, cutting off escape to the south over the Assunpink Creek. After a running street fight lasting little more than an hour, there were over 90 casualties and the Hessian troops surrendered.

The Battle of Trenton reenactment will begin at the Old Barracks Museum when the troops march off at 10:45 AM to the Battle of Trenton Monument at the intersection of Warren and Broad Streets. The reenactment will begin at 11 AM at the Battle of Trenton Monument and proceeds down Warren Street towards Mill Hill Park. Head back to the Old Barracks Museum for programming and a musket demonstration ($5 admission applies).

Having abandoned Trenton shortly after the battle on December 26, Washington re-crossed with a much larger army later in the week upon learning the British had not re-occupied Trenton. On the morning of January 2, 1777, he dispatched a small brigade up what is now Rt. 206 to reconnoiter toward Princeton. They were met by a very strong column of British, Hessians, and Highlanders under General Cornwallis and driven back along a bitterly contested, afternoon-long retreat into Trenton proper.

The Second Battle of Trenton (or the Battle of the Assunpink) is reenacted in Mill Hill Park at 3 PM – witness the action live!

The Old Barracks Museum is at 101 Barrack Street, Trenton, NJ. Parking for the event is free, close, and plentiful, available in the small lot next to the museum as well as the lot next to The War Memorial.  There is special reduced pricing for this event. The battles are free to the public, and entrance onto the museum grounds is $5 per person (children 5 and under are free).

For more information, call 609-396-1776 or visit www.barracks.org. This event is hosted by the Old Barracks Museum and is part of Patriots Week, a week-long celebration of Trenton’s revolutionary history. Visit www.patriotsweek.com for more information on this and other events.

The Traversing the Ten Crucial Days Bus Tour begins at Washington Crossing, PA. From 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, you will retrace the “…times that tried men’s souls.” From the 25 December 1776 crossing of the Delaware through to the Battle of Princeton, 3 January 1777.  You will learn about the military engagements between the remaining rag-tag elements of George Washington’s army against Hessian and British troops at Trenton, Princeton, and areas in between. Historical Interpreters will tell the remarkable stories of these ten days that breathed crucial new life into the expiring American Revolution. The events are discussed in the context of the local, strategically important, central Jersey towns, villages, and farms; occupied by families with diverse backgrounds; practicing varied religions, such as Quakers, Presbyterians, and Anglicans, and holding complex views on loyalty to the Revolution or the King. Hear how the terrain, weaponry, and weather influenced how the battles were fought and how they disrupted the lives of the local people. See where armies marched, fought, and struggled to survive on an otherwise peaceful landscape, while the course of human history hung in the balance.

Historical Interpreters: Tours are led by Larry Kidder, author of CROSSROADS OF THE REVOLUTION: Trenton 1774 – 1783, A PEOPLE HARASSED AND EXHAUSTED: The First Hunterdon County Militia and TEN CRUCIAL DAYS: Washington's Vision for Victory Unfolds, and Roger S. Williams; State Historian, New Jersey Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Co-Founder of TenCrucialDays.org, a member of the Society of Military History, the Company of Military Historians, and Society for Historians of the Early American Republic.  Kidder and Williams are joined at each venue by the interpretive staff.

 Cost: $145 per person, including bus fare, lunch, and donations to selected tour sites. Limit: 56 Guests.  A portion of the proceeds will be donated to officially recognized friends’ groups of the Ten Crucial Days Campaign venues..

For more information, Click Here

Private Tours:  Click here for information about private customized tours.

• 8:00 to 11:00 am "Experience the Battle of Princeton" Reenactment - Princeton Battlefield, 500 Mercer St., Princeton, NJ 08540

• 11:30 to 12:15 am Hereditary Organization/Military Representative Commemorative Wreath Laying

• 1:00 to 2:00 pm Lunch

• 2:30 to 3:15 pm Hereditary Organization/Military Representative Commemorative Wreath Laying at Assunpink Creek, Mill Hill Park, corner of Front and Broad Streets, Trenton, NJ

NJSSAR Luncheon at Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal, 100 College Road East Princeton, NJ 08540 There will be a meeting of the Board of Managers at 9:00 AM. The BOM is reserved for the voting members, or guests of the NJSSAR Board of Managers including NJSSAR Chapter Presidents, Officers, or Committee Chairs.

The Reception and Luncheon are open to all members of any Lineage Organization, their families, and guests. The Reception will begin at 12:00 PM, and the meeting/luncheon will begin at 12:15 PM. For costs and meal choice, contact NJSSAR Secretary Ed Glidden, eglidden@yahoo.com, (917) 658-8838

NJSSAR Battle of Monmouth at Princeton Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at Forrestal, 100 College Road East Princeton, NJ 08540

Join Compatriots to hear all the news, speakers, and upcoming events. Break bread while we commemorate the actions of June 6, 1778, Battle of Monmouth.