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.
Explore the many guided tours of The Liberty Trail
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.
Washington's enslaved huntsman and valet, William Lee was tasked with following Washington throughout the war where he witnessed events such as the encampment at Valley Forge and the victory at Yorktown.
William Franklin, the loyalist governor of New Jersey and son of Benjamin Franklin, remained devoted to Britain throughout the American Revolution, even as his father supported the revolutionary cause.
Hannah Caldwell of Connecticut Farms, New Jersey was a civilian casualty of the American Revolution. She died instantly when a British soldier fired into her home on June 7, 1780. Recognized as a patriot by the Daughters of the American Revolution, her gravestone reads, "was killed at Connecticut Farms by a shot from a British Soldier. Cruelly sacrificed by the enemies of her husband and her country.”
Peter Salem, an emancipated Black man who fought as a minuteman, is credited with a significant role in the Battle of Bunker Hill and later served in multiple campaigns during the Revolutionary War.
