New Jersey played a major role in the fight for independence, from Washington’s daring crossing of the Delaware River to the Battle of Princeton. Its location caused the Continental and British armies to clash on this ground repeatedly throughout the War for Independence.
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yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
Christopher Greene, a Rhode Island militia leader and cousin of Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, served with distinction during the American Revolution, including defending Fort Mercer and commanding the 1st Rhode Island Regiment. He was killed in action during a 1781 battle at Pines Bridge, remembered for his valor and the role of Black soldiers in his regiment.
Despite the prominent role Cornwallis played in the Revolution, Henry Clinton was blamed for the loss of the American colonies following the surrender at Yorktown.
In 1779, after a stalemate in the north, Cornwallis went south as second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton captured Charleston in May 1780. Cornwallis pressed on to defeat General Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16, 1780.
When British forces besieged Charleston, Lincoln was forced to surrender over 5,000 men. Denied honors of war in surrender, Lincoln was paroled and returned to Washington’s army. After the Battle of Yorktown, Lincoln accepted the surrender from the British, allowing him to have revenge for his defeat in Charleston.
