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Happy Fourth o’ July, History Lovers!

A few weeks ago, I found myself at the Battle of Monmouth. Not the actual battle, of course — that was in 1778 — but a reenactment at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan, New Jersey.

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Only recently have I come to appreciate how richly New Jersey deserves its moniker as the Crossroads of the American Revolution. Set between British occupied New York City and the Patriot capital of Philadelphia, it saw more than 100 battles and skirmishes — more than any other state.

The Battle of Monmouth, fought June 28, 1778, was one of them. That Sunday morning saw 20,000 advancing British soldiers pitted against 8,500 Continentals encamped at Manalapan Bridge and another 5,000 in Englishtown. A sweltering day of fighting ensued. By 11 pm that night, the British had retreated and resumed their march to New York City. Though the battle was a tactical draw, it was a huge moral and psychological victory for the Continentals, who had proven themselves able to stand toe to toe with the British army as an equal fighting force.

Enjoy this highlight reel of the battle reenactment by Raj Moorjani and if you have the chance, do visit this wonderful battlefield state park and visitor center.

Happy Independence!

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