New Jersey History
More battles of the American Revolution were fought in New Jersey than in any other colony. And before that, the Lenape people called this land home for thousands of years. This is their story — and ours.
Long before European contact, the Lenape (also called the Delaware) were the original inhabitants of what is now New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, southeastern New York, and northern Delaware. They called their homeland "Lenapehoking." The Lenape were one of the most respected nations in the Eastern Woodlands — other Algonquian-speaking peoples referred to them as "Grandfathers," acknowledging their status as the original people of the region.
The Lenape organized into three major clans (phratries): the Munsee (Wolf) in the north (roughly the area from the Raritan River to the Hudson Valley), the Unami (Turtle) in the central region, and the Unalachtigo (Turkey) in the south. Each clan had its own territory, dialect, and leadership, but they shared a common culture, language family, and spiritual tradition.
New Jersey is covered in Lenape place names that most residents use daily without knowing their origin. "Hackensack" comes from the Lenape word for "hook-shaped land." "Raritan" means "forked river" or "stream overflows." "Passaic" means "valley." "Hoboken" comes from "Hobocan Hackingh," meaning "land of the tobacco pipe." "Watchung" means "high hills." "Kittatinny" means "endless hills." "Musconetcong" means "rapid stream." These names are living connections to the people who named this land first.
The Lenape experienced a series of devastating land losses. The most infamous was the Walking Purchase of 1737, where colonial authorities used a fraudulent "treaty" to claim far more land than the Lenape had agreed to cede. Through a combination of disease, colonial expansion, and forced treaties, the Lenape were progressively pushed westward — first to the Susquehanna Valley, then to Ohio, then to Indiana, and finally to Oklahoma, where the Delaware Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians are federally recognized today.
Not all Lenape left. The Ramapough Lenape Nation, based in the Ramapo Mountains of Bergen and Passaic counties, is a state-recognized tribe that has maintained a continuous presence in New Jersey for centuries. They are one of three state-recognized Native American communities in NJ, along with the Powhatan Renape Nation (Burlington County) and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation (Cumberland County). These communities keep Lenape culture, language, and traditions alive in the state today.
Understanding Lenape history is not just an academic exercise — it is an acknowledgment that the land we live on, the rivers we cross, and the mountains we hike were named, cultivated, and cared for by people who were here for thousands of years before European settlement. Every NJ park trail, every waterfall, every county road follows paths the Lenape walked first.
Bergen & Passaic Counties
Ramapo Mountains
Burlington County
Rankokus Reservation
Cumberland County
Southern NJ
New Jersey earned the name "Crossroads of the Revolution" — Washington's army marched across the state repeatedly, and nearly 300 engagements took place on NJ soil between 1776 and 1783.
Trenton
Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night. Captured nearly 1,000 Hessian soldiers. Turned the tide of the war when morale was at its lowest.
American: 2 killed, 5 wounded. Hessian: 22 killed, 83 wounded, 896 captured.
Princeton
Ten days after Trenton, Washington outmaneuvered Cornwallis and defeated British regulars. Proved the Continental Army could beat professional soldiers in open battle.
American: 25-40 killed, 40 wounded. British: 28 killed, 58 wounded, 323 captured.
Scotch Plains / Metuchen
British forces under Howe attempted to draw Washington into a major engagement. The Americans conducted a fighting retreat, preserving their army.
National Park
A small garrison of 400 Rhode Islanders repulsed 2,000 Hessians. Colonel von Donop was mortally wounded. Delayed British supply lines to Philadelphia.
American: 14 killed, 23 wounded. Hessian: 371 killed/wounded, including their commander.
Freehold
One of the largest battles of the war. Fought in extreme heat (over 100 degrees). Molly Pitcher legend born here — Mary Ludwig Hays carried water and manned a cannon. Proved the Continental Army could stand toe-to-toe with the British after Valley Forge training.
American: 69 killed, 161 wounded, 130 missing. British: 65 killed, 170 wounded, 64 missing.
Union (now Union Township)
British and Hessian forces burned the village of Connecticut Farms. The murder of Hannah Caldwell, a minister's wife, became a rallying cry for the patriot cause.
Springfield
The last major battle in the northern colonies. British forces were repulsed and never again attempted to invade New Jersey. Reverend James Caldwell handed out hymn books as wadding for muskets, shouting "Give 'em Watts, boys!"
Jersey City
Major "Light Horse Harry" Lee (Robert E. Lee's father) led a daring nighttime raid on the British fort at Paulus Hook, capturing 158 prisoners.
Central New Jersey
A series of guerrilla-style skirmishes where NJ militia harassed British foraging parties. Wore down British morale and restricted their movement. NJ civilians played a critical role.
Morristown
The Continental Army wintered in Morristown twice. The winter of 1779-1780 was the coldest of the 18th century — worse than Valley Forge. Soldiers built Jockey Hollow encampment. Now a National Historical Park.
Titusville, Mercer County
Where Washington crossed the Delaware. Annual reenactment every Christmas Day.
Princeton, Mercer County
Site of the January 3, 1777 battle. The Clarke House still stands.
Freehold, Monmouth County
Site of the massive 1778 battle. Visitor center, trails, and annual reenactment.
Morristown, Morris County
Washington's headquarters and Jockey Hollow winter encampment. First National Historical Park in the US (1933).
National Park, Gloucester County
Site of Fort Mercer. The Whitall House survived the battle and is open for tours.
Jersey City, Hudson County
Marks the site of Light Horse Harry Lee's daring 1779 raid.