History

  While high school senior Calvin Deifer was already a multi-instrument musician, joining the Washington Crossing Historic Park Fife and Drums Corps presented a new challenge. He shares how his experience as a volunteer has expanded his musical skills and created a connection with the community. “I’ve always had an interest in history and music, so I decided to bring the two together by joining a historical music group. My mom showed me a flier for the Washington Crossing Historic Park Fife and Drum Corps about a year ago and I thought that would be a great way to expand Read More

  Everyone knows about George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and subsequent victory in Trenton, but less well known is the Battle of Harlem Heights, which took place in September 1776 on upper Manhattan Island.  Now, new light is now being shone on this important battle thanks to David Price, a historical interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park. Price’s new book, The Battle of Harlem Heights, 1776, will be released in December and will be available in the park’s gift shop or for pre-order online.   “The Battle of Harlem Heights is an underappreciated milestone in American military history,” Price Read More

Ankita Achanta’s father began driving her to violin lessons when she was three years old. Her teacher lived near Washington Crossing Historic Park and young Ankita took notice of the unique names on the street signs they passed. They piqued her curiosity. “I saw General Mercer Avenue, General Knox Road and others, and I wondered who these people were,” says Ankita, who is now a senior at George School in Newtown. “When I was in fourth grade there was a book writing competition through the Southampton Library, so I decided to investigate this curiosity of mine and write a book Read More

Written by Thomas Maddock, a historical interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park.  Leadership is a complex topic because there are so many variables to becoming a leader. My definition of a leader is: “a person who others choose to follow.”  Why we choose to follow involves many issues. Paramount among these qualities are: ambition, vision, courage, conviction, belief in one’s self, perseverance, honesty, dedication, and a deep belief in the cause. George Washington’s many accomplishments were very important to the birth of our nation, but the interesting part is the obstacles he had to overcome. He was born into an Read More

  From the First Crossing to our annual Memorial Day Ceremony, the volunteers of the Fife & Drum Corps bring both music and history to events at Washington Crossing Historic Park. Drummer Micah Goldsberry shares why he joined the Fife & Drum Corps and his experience as a volunteer. “In 2020, my brother and I launched a genealogy research project to see if we had any ancestors from the American Revolution. Sure enough we found one and were able to prove the lineage; our 6th great grandfather was a Hessian drummer who served in the 3rd English Waldeck regiment. He Read More

  Steven Elliott, PhD, will discuss his debut book, Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington’s Army During the American Revolution, May 1, at 1:30 PM, in the Visitor Center. It will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, please visit DCNR’s website. Zoom meeting details will be provided upon registration.  Surviving the Winters is the first book to show how camp construction and administration played a crucial role in Patriot strategy during the war. As Elliott reminds readers, Washington’s troops spent only a few days a year in combat. The rest of the time, particularly Read More

  In honor of Women’s History Month, the park is presenting a lecture by Carrie Fellows, titled “She Had a Husband in the Camp: Following the Army During the War for Independence,” that will profile the uncelebrated but integral women who followed the Continental Army. The lecture will take place March 27, at 1:30 PM, in the Visitor Center. It will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, please visit DCNR’s website. Zoom meeting details will be provided upon registration. Fellows is the executive director of the Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Cultural & Read More

Excerpts from Peter Jennings’ pension applications. Rutherford County Record Book 9, pages 71-72, Rutherford County Archives, Murfreesboro Tennessee.   Recordkeeping around the time of the crossing was spotty in many respects, but it was especially so with regard to the Black soldiers who were involved. However, thanks largely to preserved federal veterans pension applications, historians have been able to develop relatively nuanced profiles of two of those soldiers, Jacob Francis and Peter Jennings. “It’s ironic in a tragic way,” says museum curator Kimberly McCarty. “We’re able to learn so much more about some Black soldiers through their pension applications. But they’re Read More