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.
Download The Liberty Trail New Jersey for free today!
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.
A strategic location for the defense of New York's harbor, the Continentals failed to reinforce this peninsula, leading to the city's capture in August of 1776. A lighthouse dating to 1764 still operates there today, once serving as a Loyalist fortification.
Site of one of the last contested battles of the Revolution's northern theater that protected Washington's encampment at Morristown.
After crossing the Delaware, George Washington's ten-day campaign culminated in a decisive victory at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, proving his army could defeat the British. The battle saw Washington's forces overcome initial setbacks to rout the British and shift the momentum of the war
Built in the 1740s, this building acted as a ferry house for those wishing to cross the Delaware, including the likes of George Washington and his men on Christmas night of 1776.
A home to a Quaker family, it served as a hospital following the Battle of Red Bank.
Elizabeth Town Point, New Jersey served as a critical colonial port, ferry landing, and commercial hub connecting New Jersey to New York before and during the American Revolution. On January 25, 1780, British and Loyalist troops crossed here to launch a devastating raid that burned parts of Elizabeth.
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.
Also known as the Battle of Fort Mercer, Hessian forces under Colonel Von Donop unsuccessfully stormed this fort on the 22 of October, 1777. Halted by combined arms of infantry and ships on the Delaware River, the Hessians suffered significant losses.
In the final days of the Revolutionary War, Rockingham became General George Washington’s last wartime headquarters, where he penned his Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States. As he prepared to step away from military command, news arrived that the Treaty of Paris had been signed, securing America’s independence.
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.
Once a sprawling manor complex in the New Jersey countryside belonging to Major General William Alexander, all that remains are two extant structures and the cellar of the original home.
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.
