NEW JERSEY REVOLUTIONARY WAR ERA TIMELINE

This Timeline lists events in the Revolutionary War era happening in, or related to, New Jersey. Some major non-NJ events are also listed here, just to put events in better perspective. Follow links in listings to see the current day Sites where you can stand in the places where these events occurred.

1774

• December 22, 1774  The Greenwich Tea Party, in Greenwich New Jersey

1775

• April 19  Lexington and Concord.
• May 10 The Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia
• June 15  George Washington is named commander of the Continental Army
• June 17  Bunker Hill

1776

• March 26  The British are forced out of Boston by George Washington
• May 8 or 9  Cannonball from the British frigate Roebuck hits Helms Cove Tavern in Penns Grove
• June 15  Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" published
• June 29 The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet Wildwood
• July 4  The Declaration of Independence is signed in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
        There were five signers representing New Jersey: 
          ~  Abraham Clark. (Abraham Clark House in Roselle, gravesite in Rahway)
          ~  John Hart (John Hart House and gravesite in Hopewell Bourough, Baptized at Presbyterian Church in Lawrenceville)
          ~  Francis Hopkinson (Francis Hopkinson House is Bordentown)
          ~  Richard Stockton (Richard Stockton's home Morven, and his gravesite are both in Princeton)
          ~  John Witherspoon (John WItherspoon gravesite in Princeton)
        In addition: 
          ~  George Clymer, who signed for Pennsylvania, is buried in the Quaker Meeting House cemetery in Trenton
          ~  Joseph Hewes, who signed for North Carolina was born in Princeton
  
• July 5   One day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Congress of the United States of America makes its first land purchase: a one hundred acre plot of land located in what is now the Billingsport section of Paulsboro. Fort Billingsport was constructed here in order to blockade the British fleet from reaching Philadelphia.
• July 8  The first public readings of the Declaration of Independence include a one in Trenton (The other 2 are in Philadelphia & Easton, PA).
• July 12  Howe's British fleet reached Staten Island, New York.
• August 27  The British defeat George Washington at Long Island, New York.
• September 11, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Edward Rutledge meet with Admiral Lord Howe and General William Howe at Perth Amboy
• September 12  Washington retreats from New York.
• November 16  British capture Fort Washington, NY and Fort Lee, NJ
• November 20 The forced Abandonment of Fort Lee, starting the retreat of the American army across NJ to the other side of the Delaware river.
                             The army passes by Van Horne's Grist Mill in Leonia. (Mentioned in Thomas Paine's 'The Crisis')
• November 21  Washington's retreating army cross over the Passaic River, buring the bridge behind them. Passaic
• November 26  British and Hessian troops cross the Passaic River at Post Ford in Garfiled, in pursuit  of Washington's army
• December 14  Flemington Raid
• December 23  Petticoat Bridge Skirmish
• December 24  Aarron Burr entertained in Paramus commemorating his victory over British Raiders
• December 26  The Continental Army crosses the Delaware River to capture Trenton, New Jersey. The first battle of Trenton

1777

• January 3   Washington surprises the British at Princeton, and captures it.
• January  6 - March 28 Washington winters in Morristown
• June 14 Flag Resolution (See the Middlebrook Encampment entry on the Bound Brook page)
• April 13 The Battle of Bound Brook
• June The Battle of Short Hills
• June 26 The Oak Tree Engagement
• July 14-15 Washington stays at the Hendrick Van Allen house in Oakland.
• River Forts defense of the lower Delaware, fall of 1777
• September Legislature, meeting at the Indian King Tavern in Haddonfield, unanimously resolves that the word "State" be substituted for "Colony" in all public writs and commissions.
• September 21 Colonel von Donop camps in Haddonfield before the Battle of Red Bank.
• October 27 Battle of Second River, Belleville
• October 22 Battle of Red Bank Hessian attack on Fort Mercer, NJ repulsed
• The Continental Army winters at Valley Forge.
• The United States' alliance with France causes the British to return to New York.

1778

• March 17 Fight at Quinton's Bridge in Quinton
• March 20 Hancock House Massacre in Hancocks Bridge
• June 19 Washington leaves Valley Forge in pursuit of the British.
• June  Washington stays at the John Holcombe house in Lambertville, prior to the Battle of Monmouth
  
• June 26 Encampment of American troops in Cranbury
• June 28 The Battle of Monmouth
• July Washington stop at the Lt. Col. Thomas Cadmus house in Bloomfield, after The Battle of Monmouth
• July Washington uses The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus as headquarters after The Battle of Monmouth
• Circa September 28  Arron Burr meets his future wife Theodosia Prevost at The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus
• September 28   Baylor Massacre in River Vale
• October 6    The Battle of Chestnut Neck
• October 15   Little Egg Harbor Massacre
• December Continental Troops camped in Baptistown, while escorting British & Hessian prisoners captured at the Battle of Saratoga to Virginia
• Winter 1778/1779 Second Middlebrook Encampment

1779

• August 19 "Light Horse" Harry Lee attacks Paulus Hook (Jersey City)
• Nov.-June 23, 1780 Coldest Winter of the war, Washington at Morristown, NJ

1780

• June 6 The Battle of Connecticut Farms,
• June 23, The Battle of Springfield, last large action in the north.
• July 1 to July 29  Washington at Dey Mansion in Wayne
• September 1 Captain Joshua Huddy was captured at Colts Neck by a band of Tories.
• September 4 - 20  About 14,000 Continental Troops encamped at Kinderkamack Ridge, Paramus
• October 8 to November 27  Washington returns to Dey Mansion in Wayne
• November Washington's entertained at Wilson House in Hackettstown

1781

• March 2 Articles of Confederation adopted
• August 27-29 Washington headquarters at Chatham, where troops are massed prior to march on Yorktown
• October 19 Cornwallis surrenders.
• December 30 Captain Reuben Randolph led the Manahawkin Militia against Captain John Bacon's British Loyalist  at the Manahawkin Skirmish
  

1782

• March 24  Toms River Blockhouse Fight  / The Joshua Huddy Affair
• April 12  Hanging of Captain Joshua Huddy by the British in Highlands
• July 2  Arron Burr marries Theodosia Prevost at The Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus
• October 25  Captain Andrew Steelman and his militiamen are killed on the beach by John Bacon's Tory raiders at Long Beach Island
• October 25  John Bacon's is mortally wounded at the Affair at Cedar Bridge in Barnegat

1783

• September 3 The Treaty of Paris ends the war. Under the conditions of the treaty, the United States of America owns all of the land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, excluding modern-day Florida.

1786

• 1786 The Horsehead Copper, the first coin in the nation to use the motto "E Pluribus Unum" (Latin for "Out of many one"), is minted in Rahway.

1787

• September 17 U.S. Constitution signed. There were 4 signers representing New Jersey: William Livingston, David Brearly, William Paterson, and Johnathan Dayton.
• December 18 New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify the Constitution.

1789

• April 22 Washington stayed the night at the Cross Keys Tavern in Woodbridge on his way to his Presidential inauguration in New York City.
• April 23 Washington stopped in Rahway on his way to New York City
• November 20 New Jersey becomes the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights