Discover New Jersey’s critical role in America’s fight for independence—experience historic battlefields, personal stories, and key Revolutionary War sites with The Liberty Trail New Jersey app.
New Jersey played a major role in the fight for independence, from Washington’s daring crossing of the Delaware River to defeat the British at Trenton to a critical Patriot victory at the Battle of Princeton. Its location between the British stronghold in New York and the revolutionary center of the new nation in Philadelphia caused the Continental and British armies to clash on this ground repeatedly throughout the Revolutionary War.
The Liberty Trail New Jersey offers engaging, in-depth tours of sites related to the American Revolution. Visit the battlefields where lives were risked and lost, hear the stories of men, women, and enslaved laborers who played a part in the conflict, and learn how the efforts of both soldiers and citizens contributed to the future of the United States. Whether you are a longtime history fan or a first-time explorer, there are many ways to access the Liberty Trail—find your path.
The Liberty Trail New Jersey app was produced with the support of an award of Federal funds from the American Battlefield Protection Program administered by the National Park Service.
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We invite you to visit the preserved locations along the Liberty Trail and to immerse
yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
This tavern marked the turning point of Washington's advance against Henry Clinton's column. It was here that the order was given to Charles Lee to attack the next morning, June 28, 1778, thus commencing the Battle of Monmouth.
Chestnut Neck, occupied by Patriots until October of 1778, was a privateer outpost utilized as a staging point for planning and executing the capture of several British naval vessels.
Nestled in the sloping mountains of New Jersey, the birthplace of American military academies can be found. Initially a part of a winter encampment, it became the proving grounds for Patriot artillerists.
Utilized during the second Middlebrook encampment by the Continental Army, this home served as the headquarters for Nathanael Greene from 1778-1779.
The Battle of Monmouth took place on June 28, 1778, between the Continental Army and British forces, and is now preserved as Monmouth Battlefield State Park.
The Caldwell Parsonage is a site of tragedy outside of the battlefield of Connecticut Farms & Springfield. The events that transpired that day still have lasting legacies for the township.
Liberty Hall was home to trailblazing governors, congressmen, senators, assembly persons, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs. Inhabited by William Livingston, New Jersey’s first elected governor and a signer of the United States Constitution, the 14-room Georgian-style home evolved over time into a 50-room Victorian mansion.
The Battles of Connecticut Farms and Springfield were small but at the same time significant. It proved that New Jersey militia would stubbornly oppose any attempt by the British to move inland. The battles also showed that militia and Continental regular troops could work well together.
On December 27, 1782, Patriot forces under Captain Richard Shreve and Captain Edward Thomas were surprised at a tavern by Loyalist raider Captain John Bacon, igniting a sharp skirmish. Though the militia gained the advantage, aid from local Loyalists allowed the wounded Bacon to escape, leaving casualties on both sides and marking what is believed to be the last land engagement of the American Revolution.
At this bridge, American forces under Colonel Samuel Griffin and foraging parties under Hessian Colonel Carl Ulrich von Donop clashed several times throughout December of 1776.
Now a quiet park in the center of urban Morristown, this green once served as the training and parade grounds of the Continental Army during its 1777 winter encampment.
Located along the Morristown Green, the former site of the original First Presbyterian Church once acted as the infirmary for smallpox inoculated Continentals
