Revolutionary War & Colonial History

On the Jersey Shore, the Revolutionary War was more than a contest between the Continental and British Armies. In this neglected region, locals divided into pro- and anti-independence camps that fought a tumultuous six-year war only intermittently tied to the larger conflict. This war brought unprecedented economic opportunity to the Jersey Shore’s formerly poor and secluded villages, as locals risked their savings on speculative salt-making ventures and risked their lives in privateer vessels. British ships bound for New York were hunted by smaller vessels lurking in shore inlets. Local leaders sought to find and punish stealthy “London Traders” smuggling provisions behind British lines, and militia battled so-called Pine Robber gangs that frequently bested them.

Richly documenting and vividly narrating these events and others, award-winning historian Michael Adelberg explores the shore’s roll in America’s war for independence. 

From daring escapes and naval skirmishes to the resilience of everyday people, The Revolution on Raritan Bay reveals how this region’s sacrifices and conflicts influenced the outcome of America’s independence.

Raritan Bay was more than a body of water during the American Revolution—it was a front line. Its villages, farms, and ports became places where Patriots, Loyalists, and those in between clashed in a struggle that reshaped the colonies. Smugglers, privateers, and spies used its waters and inlets to move men, messages, and supplies. Families were torn apart, neighbors eyed one another with suspicion, and violent raids brought the war directly to the doorsteps of New Jersey residents.

Historian and television host John R. Schneider uncovers these overlooked stories, weaving together local accounts with the broader fight for liberty. 

Discover and celebrate the heritage of Cape May County's revolutionary patriots.

Descendants of whalers and those accustomed to hard living, the people of Cape May County served their emerging country on land and sea. They fought in the Continental army and the local militia at places like Brandywine and Germantown, and they fought at sea and on Delaware Bay, mostly as privateers. Their activities devilled the vaunted British navy and damaged the British war effort. Men like the Stillwell brothers, Nicholas and Enoch, prowled the waters around Egg Harbor and Peck’s Beach. Others, like successful Philadelphia lawyer and merchant Thomas Leaming, financed privateer ventures at the risk of losing everything.

Cape May County author Ray Rebmann tells the story of the roles played by local men and women in securing America’s liberty. 

Discover the history of Philadelphia's Quakers as they rose to power and prosperity and fell into peril.

Fleeing political upheavals in England for settlement in the New World, Quakers rose to unprecedented economic and political power in the Pennsylvania colony. However, the failure of the Quaker-dominated government to provide for defense in the wars from the 1730s into the 1760s was the beginning of their downfall. By the Revolution, their fortunes had waned, and they were brutally suppressed by their political foes. Seventeen influential Friends and three others were exiled to Virginia without so much as a hearing, and Quaker farms and businesses were subject to depredations. Labeled dissenters by Loyalist and Patriot alike, they stood their ground, alone and isolated.

Through the words of those who were there, author and historian Jeff Denman vividly describes the precipitous rise of the Philadelphia Quakers and their fall during the American Revolution.

Ossining, one of Westchester County’s oldest communities, holds a legacy as deep and layered as that of the Hudson River it borders.

The first incorporated village in Westchester County, Ossining is defined by a history of remarkable firsts: the county’s first newspaper, first volunteer fire department, first childcare facility, and first official American casualty of World War I, Edmond C. Genet. One of its most enduring symbols is the infamous Sing Sing Prison, established in 1825. Although its presence has left an indelible mark on the village’s identity, the prison remains just one chapter in Ossining’s rich and textured story.

In a book packed with rare details and “Portal to the Past” entries, local authors Scott Craven and Caroline Ranald Curvan reveal the rich history of this unique community.

George Washington and Alexandria recounts and celebrates the life, legacy, and leadership of the city's hometown hero and the father of the nation.

No other city in America had the impact that Alexandria had on George Washington’s personal life and professional career. From his first job as surveyor until the last day of his life, Washington was supported by his neighbors, friends, and family from Alexandria. Alexandrians helped make him the father of our nation. In return, Washington helped shape the city and, by extension, the new American nation.

Washington’s half brothers were the first landowners and trustees to the city of Alexandria, and prominent local families like the Fairfaxes were influential in Washington’s life. Alexandria merchants, John Carlyle, John Dalton, and William Ramsay, did business with Washington and supported him during the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War. During the Revolutionary War, other citizens like John Fitzgerald and Robert Harrison served as his aides de camp, and doctors like James Craik and William Brown served Washington and his family. After the war, Washington helped start the Alexandria Academy and the Potomac Company, and he was a shareholder in the Bank of Alexandria. He was an active member in Alexandria’s Christ Church.

While Washington’s home was Mount Vernon, his hometown was Alexandria. It was fitting that the city would celebrate his return from the Revolutionary War, see him off as president, and build enduring memorials to his legacy.

A Tale of Two Foes

After the Battle of Monmouth Court House, in June 1778, the Revolutionary War in Monmouth County devolved into skirmishes between local militias and British Loyalists. Chief among these warring factions were revered rebel hero Captain Joshua Huddy and his fierce rival, a runaway enslaved Black man called Colonel Tye, who fought for the British. Attempting to bring the captured Huddy to prison, Tye was killed in battle, and when Loyalists murdered Huddy without benefit of trial two years later, the resulting international outrage jeopardized Benjamin Franklin’s Paris peace treaty negotiations. Only when Marie Antoinette pleaded with George Washington to stop the retaliatory hanging of a young British lieutenant did the peace talks resume.

Author Rick Geffken reveals the stories of these two obscure enemies who died and rose to fame for their beliefs in independence.

After the 1776 Battle of White Plains, Westchester County became known as the “Neutral Ground.” But there would be no peace here. Occupied by neither side, it was a place where no one could remain neutral amid clashes by detachments of the contending armies, as well as violence by groups of bandits, vigilantes and partisans. Families were driven from their homes, and violence flared between once peaceable neighbors. Espionage played a major role as well, culminating in the Arnold-André conspiracy, which nearly ended the war in a British victory. Local historian Stephen Paul DeVillo details the colorful personalities and diverse military units that shaped the course of the conflict.

The revolutionary Battle of Monmouth signaled the end of major combat in the North. Centuries later, reminders of the conflict remain. The Covenhoven House, the Village Inn, Marlpit Hall, the Craig House and the homes of Thomas Seabrook and the murdered Joseph Murray stand open to the public today. Visitors can also behold safehouses for the wounded—such as Old Tennent Church, St. Peter’s and Old First Church—and tread along the same ground as George Washington, General Sir Henry Clinton, Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette. Devoting attention to these sites and to the Battle Monument in Freehold, the Revolution’s most prominent and enduring symbol, historian Randall Gabrielan leads a tour through Monmouth County’s revolutionary heritage.

Join author Joseph Buga on an exploration of this working-class and indefatigable city. Passaic has a history that stretches the imagination. Back when the place was called Acquackanonk, it played a crucial role in the American Revolution. Later, its hospitable attitude toward immigrants established Passaic as a beacon of both stability and innovation. By the late 1800s, the city was becoming a national leader in all things textile and rubber—Edison used Passaic wire to electrify Lower Manhattan. Allen B. Dumont established WABD in Passaic, the fourth national TV network alongside ABC, CBS and NBC. The Passaic High School “Wonder Team” boasted the longest high school winning streak in any sport, and a Passaic athlete became the “world’s fastest man.” Passaic pop legends the Shirelles and Joey Dee and the Starlighters made it big and influenced an upstart British group, the Beatles.

Discover the stories of two legendary leaders of the Revolutionary War

Robert Kirkwood and Peter Jaquett were close contemporaries and comrades in the Delaware Continental Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Battle buddies who relied upon one another on and off the field, they led their respective companies through 32 battles over almost eight years of war. They endured difficulties and hardships and exercised daring and initiative on the path to victory. Under their leadership, the Delaware Regiment gained a lasting reputation for punching far above its weight.

Local author Kennard R. Wiggins tells the stories of the daily lives of these two men and their soldiers in the field.

Walk in the footsteps of the Marquis de Lafayette as he makes a final trip through the young United States.

Against the backdrop of a tumultuous election, a beloved hero of the American Revolution returned to America for the first time in forty years. From August 1824 to September 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette traveled throughout the United States, welcomed by thousands of admirers at each stop along the way. Although the tour brought him to each state in the Union, the majority of his time was spent in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.

Public historian Elizabeth Reese traces Lafayette’s route throughout the National Capital Region, highlighting the locations and people the famous General held closest to his heart.

A Rare Glimpse into life on the Revolutionary Home Front

In September of 1777, the British Army began to occupy the city of Philadelphia at the onset of the Revolutionary War. Sixteen-year-old Sally Wister fled the city for the Pennsylvania countryside along with her Quaker family. Once in safety, Sally began to keep a journal of her experiences for her best friend. Over the following nine months, Sally’s journal charmingly reveals the excitement, fear, and fascination of a teenage girl experiencing the drama of war. From the occasional adventure to a series of flirtations with various officers and soldiers passing by, Sally Wister’s account is a rare and lively perspective of the Revolutionary War home front.

When Washington set the world on fire...

George Washington has frequently been criticized for his first military campaign, which sparked the French and Indian War. This backwoods campaign between British and French colonials eventually grew into the Seven Years' War, a global conflict between these European empires. In 1754 Washington was an ambitious yet inexperienced young officer, eager to carry out his orders and mission on behalf of Virginia and the British king. While his campaign failed to meet its objectives, Washington experienced his first taste of military command, dealing with situations that ultimately proved beyond his control, and learned lessons that made him into the man who led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War.

Historian Scott Patchan delves deep into Washington's correspondence to tell the story of his training as an officer. 

“Show me your cemeteries, and I will tell you what kind of people you have.” - Benjamin Franklin

Discover the historic haunts and frightful specters that make the city of brotherly love a haven for unexplained phenomena.  

Author Josh Hitchens details the spooky stories of Philadelphia’s past and present.

The American Revolution sharply divided families and towns on Long Island. Washington's defeat at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776 started seven years of British occupation.

Patriot sympathizers were subject to loyalty oaths, theft of property and the quartering of soldiers in their homes. Those who crossed the British were jailed on prison ships in Wallabout Bay in Brooklyn, where an estimated eleven thousand people died of disease and starvation. Some fought back with acts of sabotage and espionage. Washington's famed Culper spy ring in Oyster Bay, Setauket and other areas successfully tracked British movements. Dr. Joanne S. Grasso explores the story of an island at war.

Author David M. Griffin uncovers the lost history and harrowing stories of Long Island's British forts.

When the Revolutionary War broke out and New York City had fallen in 1776, the forces of the king of Great Britain developed a network of forts along the length of Long Island to defend the New York area and create a front to Patriot forces across the Sound in Connecticut. Fort Franklin on Lloyd's Neck became a refugee camp for Loyalists and saw frequent rebel attacks. In Huntington, a sacred burial ground was desecrated, and Fort Golgotha was erected in its place, using tombstones as baking hearths. In Setauket along the northern shore, the Presbyterian church was commandeered and made the central fortified structure of the town.

The bells rung all day, and almost all night...

John Adams wrote this timeless observation when the Declaration of Independence was signed and publicly proclaimed in early July of 1776 to a jubilant crowd in Philadelphia. This is the story of those bells - a search to discover which bells did indeed ring, or are believed to have rung, when America was born. It is the story of the most famous bell in the world, the Liberty Bell, and the other historic bells of Philadelphia, during the era of the American Revolution.

Author Thomas Kaufmann traces the joyous history of sound and instrument as the nation is forged among uplifting tolls of Philadelphia's historic independence bells.

“It is true, Maryland did not . . . contribute its proportion, but it was, in my opinion, the fault of the Government, and not of the people.”

~Benjamin Franklin

During the French and Indian War the American colonies contributed to the imperial war effort like never before, Maryland included. Maryland’s involvement in the war saw colonial governor Horatio Sharpe and the elected delegates of the Lower House in near constant struggle over Maryland’s role. They battled over the deployment of Maryland’s militia, over raising troops, and over wartime funding. Meanwhile, frontier settlements burned and Maryland’s soldiers joined the effort to defend Great Britain’s claims to lands west of the Appalachians. Britain’s colonies in North America expanded substantially as a result.

Local historian Tim Ware details the political as well as the military conflicts Maryland faced in this unique war.

The Delaware Bay area was a pivotal battleground during the Revolutionary War. Follow along with this history of the Cape May Navy and its part in the War for Independence.

The Delaware Bay during the Revolutionary War was vital for trade and home to a host of armed conflicts between British vessels and American privateers. Cape May County captains in their light, fast vessels captured dozens of British merchant ships off the Atlantic coast. At the Battle of Delaware Bay, Lieutenant Joshua Barney aboard the Hyder Ally overcame massive odds and defeated the British warship General Monk. Colonel Elijah Hand, local hero of the skirmish at Quinton's Bridge, took his military talents to the seas, where he dueled with Tory privateers. Still in his twenties, Yelverton Taylor captured the Triton with hundreds of Hessian soldiers on board. Authors James P. Hand and Daniel P. Stites chart the exciting history of the Cape May Navy in the War for Independence.

Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Join the Revolution

New Jersey was the Crossroads of the American Revolution, and its colonial taverns were havens for Patriots and Loyalists alike to debate the political question of independence and even plan much of the Revolution itself. Taverns were the social and political centers of colonial society and the Garden State had a myriad of establishments that played prominent roles in the founding of the nation. Taverns became recruitment stations for colonial militias and provided a meeting place for local committees of safety. George Washington used them as headquarters and safe houses for his spies and local troops.

Discover the intoxicating history of the driving force in the fight for freedom, the colonial tavern in New Jersey.  

Flanked by the Hudson River to the east and the Delaware River to the west, Bergen County comprised one of the most vital theaters of the Revolutionary War.

An army that could control this territory could drive a fateful wedge between New England and the other colonies.In The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, Carol Karels and her team of scholars weave a masterful account of the war in northeastern New Jersey. Here in Bergen County General Washington took the young Marquis de Lafayette under his wing; here in Bergen County the future antagonists Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were baptized by fire; here in Bergen County families—in a prelude to the Civil War—split bitterly along Loyalist and Patriotic lines. From Washington's miraculous November 1776 retreat to the Delaware to the beginning of the Continental Army's epic August 1781 march to destiny at Yorktown, The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, comprehensively encompasses one of the Revolutionary War's most dramatic and pivotal fronts.

A Fabulous Fable of the Supernatural Kind

The saga of the Morristown ghost has been told around campfires and dinner tables in Morris County for generations. Local legend claimed British Loyalists secretly buried stolen Patriot treasure on Schooley Mountain as they fled the oncoming forces of George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Years later in 1788, a former school teacher from Connecticut, Ransford Rodgers, convinced local prominent Morristown families that a ghost was protecting the true location of the treasure and he alone could exercise it. Little did the victims know, Rodgers was perpetuating an elaborate hoax and eventually extorted large sums of money from the embarrassed local elite. The tale has been recounted in various sensational pamphlets and publications ever since, leaving behind a mystery of what is true or myth.

Author Peter Zablocki separates fact from fiction in the story of the great Morristown ghost hoax.

The history of infamous witch trials and witchcraft accusations is deeper than just those most often discussed at Salem. The Empire State has had numerous moments of pandemonium over the potential existence of witches.

From Native Americans viewing European colonists as witches in the Mohawk Valley to witchcraft hysteria among early Long Island colonial settlements, the history of New York state's witchcraft accusations encompases all regions and communities in the state.

Join author Scott R. Ferrara as he presents harrowing narratives of those who were accused of witchcraft, the feverish community dramas that resulted and the lives of those who faced their community as an outsider.

During the American Revolution, the Eastern Shore was filled with both Patriots and Loyalists. Both sides attacked the other using privateers - pirates to their enemies.

These enterprising locals plundered and pillaged, and motivated by profit, some even fought for both sides. The Chesapeake Bay was the site of one of the last and bloodiest naval battles of the Revolution, and privateers were instrumental in the eventual American victory in the war. Author Leonard Szaltis uses local records to bring these legendary Eastern Shoremen and their exploits to life.

1775 belonged to Boston but after April of 1776, the Revolutionary War’s focus became New York City and the highly strategic Long Island, from Brooklyn’s terminal moraine high ground to Queens’s Hell Gate.

1776 was the year when revolution came to Long Island, and in particualr the future Long Island City. The failures, defeats and eventual occupation of the area at the hands of the British forged the resolve and strength of character that would later ensure Patriot victories on distant battlegrounds throughout the rest of the colonies. The British did not evacuate western Queens county until November of 1783, but the events of 1776 would not soon be forgotten during the seven long years of occupation afterword. Join author Richard Melnick as he charts the military, political and cultural history 1776 in Long Island City.

From the outbreak of the Revolutionary War to the summer of 1777, Loyalists and Patriot forces wove their way through the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks, vying for land and control of the key waterways of the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River and the New York Harbor.  

The majority of New Yorkers, particularly those who occupied the Adirondack Mountain Region and other wilderness frontier regions, were either Loyalist or neutral throughout the war. Their stories, motivations and actions are often overlooked out of a false impression that most colonists were unifed in favor of American independence.

Author Marie Williams recounts the harrowing efforts, battlefield endeavours and conflicted hearts and minds of the forgotten British and Loyalists during the revolutionary era in the Adirondacks.

Michael S. Adelberg brings to life the struggles within Monmouth County, a place that New Jersey governor William Livingston called the theatre of spoil and destruction.

Like much of New Jersey during the American Revolution, Monmouth County was contested territory in between the great armies. As the Battles of Trenton, Princeton and Bound Brook raged nearby, the people of Monmouth County fought their own internal revolution; Loyalist partisans led insurrections and raids that laid waste to entire neighborhoods. In 1778, General George Washington rallied his Continental army and fought the British within Monmouth's borders, barely holding the field. Monmouth Countians joined the fight and then spent the following weeks caring for the wounded and burying the dead. The remaining war years brought more hardships, as they grappled with a local civil war charged with racial, religious and economic undercurrents - a local civil war that continued long after the Battle of Yorktown supposedly ended hostilities.

Between the Watchung Mountains to the north and the Sourland Mountains to the west lies the fertile valley of the Raritan River.

Stout Dutch, Huguenot, German, Scottish, and English settlers began to cultivate family farms here as early as the 1680s. For almost a hundred years, the tramp of soldiers' feet and sounds of cannons had been unknown, but that was about to change. With its location astride two major routes between New York and Philadelphia, it is little wonder that Somerset County became the Crossroads of the Revolution. A friendly populace and the protection of the mountains made this a safe haven for General Washington's army. His soldiers camped for three winters, including the harshest winter of the Revolution, in Somerset and in the adjacent areas of central New Jersey. Washington spent more time here than any other place during the War for Independence. It was in this historically significant county that the first military academy in the nation was built, the 13-star flag was first flown over American troops after its adoption by Congress, and the Regulations for the Infantry of the United States was written by General von Steuben.

Newly elected president George Washington set out to visit the new nation aware that he was the singular unifying figure in America.

The journey's finale was the Southern Tour, starting in March 1791. The long and arduous trek from the capital, Philadelphia, passed through seven states and the future Washington, D.C. But the focus was on Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. The president kept a rigorous schedule, enduring rugged roads and hazardous water crossings. His highly anticipated arrival in each destination was celebrated with countless teas, parades, dinners and dances. Author Warren Bingham reveals the history and lore of the most beloved American president and his survey of the newly formed southern United States.

Less than an hour by train from New York City...

Croton Point Park encapsulates the history, beauty and promise of the Hudson Valley. The Westchester County Park encompasses miles of Hudson River shoreline with astonishing views and remnants of the region’s past. Incredible shell mounds shed light on the Native peoples who inhabited the area generations prior to European colonization. The remains of the first commercial vineyards in the Northeast are just steps away from historic brickyards that helped build Manhattan. The Point served as a dumping ground for years until local efforts restored the park into a model of environmental conservation. Today, bald eagles have returned to nest alongside visitors exploring remarkable landmarks, sailing the waters of the Hudson or enjoying a scenic picnic.

Authors Scott Craven and Caroline Ranald Curvan present Westchester’s crown jewel, Croton Point Park.

Long Island was occupied under the brutal yolk of the British army and navy from 1776-1783. The scars, trials and experiences of the occupation would not soon be forgotten...

Author David M. Griffin presents harrowing narratives of life during the British occupation of Long Island and the struggle for freedom during the Revolutionary War.

A gripping account of  General Nicholas Herkimer's valiant defeat of British forces in the heart of New York's Mohawk Valley--and a striking account of the days before and after that fateful day in August 1777.

During the critical Battle of Oriskany in August 1777, Continental forces led by General Nicholas Herkimer defeated the British army under St. Leger in the heart of New York's Mohawk Valley. It was a hard-won victory, but he and his brave troops prevented the British from splitting the colonies in two. Although they did not succeed in relieving the British siege of Fort Stanwix, Herkimer's citizen-soldiers turned back the British and protected Washington's northern flank from attack. The Continental army survived to fight the decisive Battle of Saratoga the next month. Herkimer was mortally wounded, but his heroism and leadership firmly placed him in the pantheon of Revolutionary War heroes. Paul Boehlert presents a gripping account of the events before, during and after this critical battle.

First inhabited by the Mohicans and settled before 1651, Kinderhook, New York, has an intriguing historical past.

Today, Kinderhook’s celebrated art galleries and restaurants attract visitors and locals alike. While the town has ties to the American Revolution and was home to America’s eighth president, Martin Van Buren, Kinderhook is most known for being the origin of America’s first ghost story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The story’s main character, Ichabod Crane, was based on Washington Irving’s close friend Jesse Merwin, a teacher who moved to Kinderhook in 1808. Due to the story’s success and its terrifying icon, the Headless Horseman, Kinderhook and the Hudson Valley have evolved from farmland and sleepy folklore to an area full of cultural interest.

Lisa LaMonica is an author, illustrator, and fine artist in upstate New York. She was nominated for Artist of the Year in 2002 and 2018 by the Columbia County Council on the Arts. She teaches art privately at her local community college, at the Hudson Youth Department, and at the Hudson Senior Center. She is also the author of Haunted Catskills and Images of America: Hudson.

In April 1775, a small band of men set out from Hartford and traveled swiftly north toward the shore of Lake Champlain, recruiting men to their expedition along the way.

Within only a few days, this loyal group of volunteers arrived in Vermont and, joining forces with Ethan Allen and his legendary Green Mountain Boys, launched a daring attack to capture more than one hundred cannons stored at Fort Ticonderoga. In this comprehensive look at America's First Victory, Richard Smith traces the Patriots' route from Connecticut, through the towns of western Massachusetts and the Berkshire hills and north to Bennington, Vermont, and Lake Champlain. He chronicles the rival expedition led by Benedict Arnold, his confrontation with Allen and the surprise attack that changed the course of the American Revolution.