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December Lecture Spotlights Unknown Crossing Participants

November 26th, 2021 History

crossing-reenactors

Colonels John Glover and Henry Knox, future U.S. President James Monroe, and of course General George Washington are all celebrated participants in the historic Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River. But who were the other 2,396 participants comprising Washington’s army at the time? 

Washington Crossing Historic Park curator Kimberly McCarty will introduce guests to four relatively unknown figures from this momentous event during her Sunday, December 5 lecture titled, “Who Was Here in 1776.” The lecture takes place from 7 – 8 p.m. and will be held in-person at Washington Crossing Historic Park (1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA 18977). Admission is free but advance registration is required. 

“What I try to do with this program is help people relate to these individuals, even though they lived nearly 250 years ago,” explains McCarty. “This creates a connection between past and present and gets people excited for our crossing events in December.”  

Among the individuals McCarty will highlight this year is Reverend David Avery. 

“Avery was a Congregationalist minister from Franklin, Conn. His writings from the time discuss the difficulty the Continental Army had in finding cooperation among citizens from Bucks County,” she shares. “At the time of the crossing, there was a heavy Quaker contingent in the area and Avery wrote in his diary, ‘we find the people cold and indifferent to show kindness to the army…. the Quaker conscience will not allow them treatings those well who are engaged in war’.”

In the past, McCarty’s lectures have featured black soldiers, women and other unknown individuals.