New Jersey and The American Revolution
New Jersey played a major role in the American Revolution. In fact, the Battles of Trenton and Princeton were turning points in the war.
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Chronology of Events in New Jersey
1776 |
|
| 10-May | 2nd Continental Congress opens in Philadelphia |
| 19-Jun | Royal Governor Franklin arrested at Proprietary House, Perth Amboy |
| 21-Jun | NJ Provincial Congress at Burlington votes 53-3 to break ties with Great Britain, Burlington |
| 4-Jul | Continental Congress approves Declaration of Independence, Philadelphia |
| 1-Jul | Washington's troops construct Fort Lee in NJ and Fort Washington in NY |
| 16-Nov | Fort Washington falls to the British, and Washington evacuates Fort Lee |
| 20-Nov | Washington leads 2,000 troops from Fort Lee across Hackensack River to New Bridge Landing & Steuben House |
| Nov 23 - Dec 3 |
Washington continues retreat passing through Princeton on way to Delaware River |
| Dec 7-8 | Washington and troops cross Delaware River. British and Hessians reach Princeton and Trenton |
| 13-Dec | General Lee is captured by British in Basking Ridge |
| 25-Dec | The night of December 25, Washington and 2,400 troops cross Delaware River landing at Johnson's Ferry Washington Crossing State Park |
| 26-Dec | Predawn - American army marches to Trenton, surprising Hessians in attack at the Old Barracks, Trenton |
1777 |
|
| 1-Jan | Lord Cornwallis takes command of the British Army in Princeton |
| 2-Jan | Battle of Trenton with heavy fighting along Assunpink, Trenton |
| 3-Jan | Battle of Princeton - Washington strikes the British rear at Princeton, Americans defeat small British force |
| Jan 6 - May 28 |
Washington's troops spend winter at Morristown |
| 26-Sep | British take Philadelphia September to October Washington builds up defenses at Red Bank on lower Delaware River |
| 22-Oct | Americans defeat attacking Hessian troops, then abandon Fort Mercer |
| 15-Nov | British take Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania |
| Dec - May | Washington and 12,000 troops survive bitter winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania |
1778 |
|
| 21-Mar | British and Loyalist troops raid Hancock's Bridge, American troops die at Hancock House massacre |
| 28-Jun | Critical American victory at Battle of Monmouth |
| 11-Dec | Washington sets up headquarters in Wallace House, troops spend winter in Watchung Mountains in Middlebrook |
1779 |
|
| 19-Aug | Major Henry Lee attacks the British fort at Paulus Hook (Jersey City) |
| 28-Oct | British Major John Simcoe leads raid through Elizabethtown to Bound Brook and Somerset Courthouse, Millstone |
| 1-Dec | Washington moves army into winter quarters at Morristown for the most severe winter of the century |
1780 |
|
| June 7 - 23 | Battle of Springfield/invasion of Elizabethtown and Springfield |
| July 1 - 8 | Washington establishes headquarters at Dey Mansion, Wayne |
1783 |
|
| 30-Jun | Congress abandons Independence Hall in Philadelphia and reconvenes at Nassau Hall in Princeton |
| 23-Aug | George and Martha Washington arrive at Rockingham |
| 3-Sep | America and Britain sign Peace Treaty in Paris, France |
| 2-Nov | Washington writes Farewell Address at Rockingham |
