| New Jersey During The American Revolution |
Article Index for New Jersey |
Website Links For New Jersey |
Information AboutNew Jersey During The American Revolution |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT NEW JERSEY DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION | |
| new jersey in the american revolution | |
|
See Also: History of New Jersey As the location of many major battles, New Jersey was pivotal in the American Revolution and the ultimate victory of the American colonists. The important role New Jersey played earned it the title of "Crossroads of the Revolution". Not all of the population of New Jersey advocated for independence; Governor William Franklin , the illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin , was a Loyalist who supported the Stamp Act . Many of the colonists had emigrated from England and felt a sense of loyalty to the King of England and the English government. On January 8 , 1776 , Governor Franklin was arrested for opposing the Revolution. Others such as Slave s joined sides with the British in return for freedom. For example, Colonel Tye was a slave who escaped and joined the British army, leading constant raids against the people of New Jersey.Streissguth, Thomas (2002). New Jersey. San Diego: Lucent Books, Inc. ISBN 1-56006-872-8. Throughout the Revolutionary War, there were many clashes between the Americans and British within the colony of New Jersey. In total, there were 296 engagements that occurred within New Jersey, more clashes than occurred in any other colony in the Revoutionary War. PREWAR TENSIONS Following the , 1774 , a group of 40 colonists entered the cellar of Loyalist Dan Bowen and quickly stole and burnt chests of tea. BATTLES Besides being the location of several important battles, New Jersey was also helpful in disrupting British supply units. Forts on the Delaware River could attack British supply troops as they sailed to Philadelphia. 1776-1777 Battle of Fort Lee The war did not start well for the Continental Army. After difficult losses in the Battle Of Brooklyn , General George Washington led his troops towards Manhattan with the British in pursuit. On November 16 , 1776 , Fort Washington fell to the British. On November 19 , 1776 , British soldiers under Charles Cornwallis captured Fort Lee, New Jersey after a hasty retreat by the American soldiers under Nathanael Greene stationed there. After gaining control of the Manhattan area, the British ferried up the Hudson River in barges. Washington had dashed off to warn the Americans about the advancing British, and the fort was evacuated. Much equipment and supplies were captured by the British. On November 20 , 1776 , Washington led his 2,000 troops from Fort Lee in a retreat through present-day Englewood and Teaneck across the Hackensack River at New Bridge Landing . Washington continued his retreat through early December, passing through Princeton on way to the Delaware River . Ten crucial days The Ten Crucial Days were ten days at the end of December 1776 and the first week of January 1777, where several decisive battles were fought between the Continental Army under George Washington and the British army, mostly under Charles Cornwallis . George Washington had been unsuccessful previously against the British because the American soldiers enlisted in 30 day periods, after which many refused to reenlist. This was exacerbated by the poor living conditions Washington's troops had to endure. Washington badly needed a victory to prove to boost morale. '']] On Christmas night of 1776, the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington made their famous crossing of the Delaware River . They took the Hessian s stationed in Trenton by surprise; the Hessians were not prepared for an attack during an important holiday. The majority of them were still asleep or drunk from the partying. In the resulting Battle Of Trenton , the Continental Army crushed the Hessians. The Hessians unsuccessfully attempted to retreat and were completely surrounded by the Continental Army. As a result of the battle, the Americans captured nearly 900 Hessian soldiers within 90 minutes. In addition, they took the supplies that had been placed in Trenton for use by the British army. George Washington then had the soldiers recross safely back into Pennsylvania . George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River was immortalized in Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze 's painting '' Washington Crossing The Delaware ''It is believed by historians that the painting is not historically accurate. In the painting, George Washington stands up, but the stormy conditions and the extremely small size of the boat would've prevented him from standing up without causing the boat to topple over. Also, the flag displayed on the painting was designed in 1777, after George Washington's 1776 Delaware River crossing. For a complete argument against the historical aspects of the painting, see Washington Crossing The Delaware . . It is also displayed on the New Jersey State Quarter . The battle helped to increase the waning confidence of the Continental Congress . On January 3 , 1777 , the Continental Army defeated the British army under General Charles Cornwallis at the Battle Of Princeton . Cornwallis had hoped to engage Washington's army at Trenton after George Washington recrossed the Delaware River, resulting in the Second Battle Of Trenton . Cornwallis's initial results were failures. After recapturing Trenton, he ordered charges on defenses fortified by Washington at Assunpink Creek . The Americans, from their defenses, fired volleys at the advancing troops, striking heavy casualties in the British army. Later, General Washington moved the majority of his army on a surprise attack upon British troops stationed at Princeton . At the same time, he left a few troops to stall Cornwallis by creating false signals (campfires, loud noises, fortifications) to give the impression that the Continental Army was still stationed in Trenton. The Americans set up cannons facing Nassau Hall of Princeton University , and two cannonballs made contact with the walls of the hall. The British soldiers at Princeton were soon forced to surrender to the Americans, and Nassau Hall was recaptured. Cornwallis immediately moved to bring his army to engage Washington. This attempt failed due to snipers and bridges destroyed by the Americans. These two victories forced the British out of New Jersey, boosting the morale of the Americans. Battle of Millstone Also known as the battle of Van Nest's Mills, the Battle Of Millstone occurred on January 20 , 1777 . Following the battle of Princeton, Washington's soldiers traveled north following the Millstone River to Somerset Court House . From New Brunswick , a small British foraging party also went to Somerset Court House, reaching Van Nest’s Mill (present day Manville). After seizing flour and livestock, the British unit set up defenses on the Millstone river, including 3 cannons. The local militia managed to surprise the British party by crossing the river and managed to seize back the supplies. General Dickinson Raritan, New Jersey, January 23: "''I have the pleasure to inform you that on Monday last with about 450 men chiefly our militia I attacked a foraging party near V. Nest Mills consisting of 500 men with 2 field pieces, which we routed after an engagement of 20 minutes and brought off 107 horses, 49 wagons, 115 cattle, 70 sheep, 40 barrels of flour - 106 bags and many other things, 49 prisoners.''"Valis, Glenn. The Battle of Millstone . URL accessed on March 12, 2006. Battle of Bound Brook The Battle Of Bound Brook resulted in a shallow defeat of the Americans stationed at Bound Brook, New Jersey on April 13 , 1777 . A four prong attack by 4,000 British upon Bound Brook ensued, and the Americans, who defeat a fierce resistance at first, retreated. Around 60 casualties occurred on the American sides, while only a single British soldier was killed. On the same day, Nathanael Greene recaptured Bound Brooks, but George Washington realized the difficulty of defending the place. Battle of Short Hills The Battle Of Short Hills forced the British to withdraw from New Brunswick, New Jersey . After the Battle of Bound Brook, the regrouping Americans under Lord Stirling lead American forces to achieve a narrow victory over the British. The British left New Brunswick and Staten Island to attack Philadelphia. The Battle of Bound Brook by Weldon Monsport, retrieved January 24, 2006. 1778 Battle of Monmouth taking over her husband's position at a Cannon ]] In 1777, the British retreated to New York City to protect it from an expected French attack. Washington quickly ordered his soldiers to march towards the British and met them at the Battle Of Monmouth . In June 28 , 1778 , the Continental Army under George Washington met a British column under Sir Henry Clinton . George Washington hoped to surprise the rear of the British army and overwhelm them. General Charles Lee led the American attack on the British rear but retreated quickly when the British attempted to flank the Americans. The retreat nearly led to massive disorder, but Washington managed to personally rally the troops to withstand the British counterattacks. The British attempted two attacks to defeat the Americans; both failed. As exceedingly high temperatures continued to increase over 100 °F (38 °C ), many soldiers fell to Sunstroke . After the battle, Charles Lee was court-martialed for his poor army command. Over 1,000 British casualties were incurred; the Americans lost about 452 men. This battle inspired the legend of Molly Pitcher The different tales that related to Molly Pitcher (whose real name is Mary Hays McCauly) tales are now regarded by most historians as Folklore rather than history, though real women did actually inspire these stories. . Baylor Massacre The Baylor Massacre was an attack on September 27 , 1778 upon the 3rd Regiment Of Continental Light Dragoons under the command of Colonel George Baylor during the American Revolutionary War. It occurred in the present day town of River Vale, New Jersey . During the night, they were betrayed by loyalists, who informed the British of their location. Using bayonets, the British killed, injured, or took as prisoners 67 of the dragoons. 1779 Battle of Paulus Hook The Battle Of Paulus Hook was fought on August 19 , 1779 between Colonial and British forces. The Patriots were led by Light Horse Harry Lee , and launched a night attack on the British-controlled fort. They surprised the British, taking several prisoners, but had to withdraw before daylight. Despite retaining the fort and its cannons, the British lost much of their control on New Jersey. 1780 Battle of Springfield The last major battle to take place in New Jersey and the rest of the Northenrn states during the Revolutionary War was the Battle Of Springfield . Baron Von Knyphausen , the Hessian general, hoped to invade of New Jersey and expected support from the colonists of New Jersey who were tired of the war. His goal was to secure Hobart Gap , from which he could attack the American headquarters situated in Morristown . On June 23 , 1780 , the British attacked soldiers under the command of Nathanael Greene . General Greene successfully stopped a two-pronged attack from entrenchments held across the Raritan River . The victory prevented a British invasion of New Jersey. ORIGINAL NEW JERSEY STATE CONSTITUTION See Also: New Jersey State Constitution In 1776, the first when the constitution was proclaimed. The Constitution declares itself temporary, and it was to be void if there was reconciliation with Great Britain Klinghoffer and Elkis. "The Petticoat Electors: Women’s Suffrage in New Jersey, 1776–1807." Journal of the Early Republic, 12, no. 2 (1992): 159–193.. Both sides in elections mocked the other for relying on "petticoat electors" and each accused the other of letting unqualified women (including married women) vote. A Federalist legislature passed a voting rights act which applied only to those counties where the Federalists were strong. A Democratic legislature extended it to the entire state. In 1807, as a side-effect of a reconciliation within the Democratic Party, the legislature reinterpreted the constitution (which had been an ordinary act of the Provincial Congress) to mean universal ''white male'' suffrage, with no property requirement. However, they disenfranchised Pauper s, to suppress the Irish vote. AFTER THE WAR In the summer of 1783, the Continental Congress met in Nassau Hall of Princeton University . It had originally convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , but mutinous troops prevented the meeting from taking place there. Princeton became the temporary capital for the newly independent nation through these four months. During the brief stay in Princeton, the Continental Congress was informed of the end of the war by the signing of the Treaty Of Paris on September 3 , 1783 . The chief dignitary of the meeting was George Washington , and a portrait was made of Washington during the meeting. On December 18 , 1787 , New Jersey became the third state to ratify the Constitution . On November 20 , 1789 , New Jersey became the first state in the nation to ratify the Bill Of Rights . New Jersey played a principal role in the creating the stucture of the new United States Government . When Virginia delegates came up with the Virginia Plan , which called for representation in government proportional to the population of each state, the smaller states refused, fearing that with such a plan they would no longer have a say in government affairs. William Patterson , a New Jersey statesman, introduced the New Jersey Plan by which one vote would be given to each state, providing equal representation within the legislative body. Under the Great Compromise , both plans were placed into use with two separate bodies in the Congress , with the Senate being modeled after the structure in the New Jersey Plan. NOTES AND REFERENCES SEE ALSO |
|
|