Somerset 250 Top Events

Step back into 1776 and experience the words that changed history! The Somerset County Board of County Commissioners invites you to celebrate “Sharing the Spirit of America” – a nationwide initiative to celebrate the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. Now, 250 years later, thousands of people are coming together across the country to read the Declaration of Independence “together” in a nationwide initiative to celebrate this historic anniversary. Join us to experience the words that truly changed history, enjoy musical performances, and meet historical reenactors from the Heritage Trail Association! Doors open at 5 P.M. Program begins at 5:30 P.M.

* Use this link to join our virtual program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82198822203 Eighteenth-century Philadelphia was a complex place where global trade brought new goods and new ideas to the people who became revolutionaries. Follow one artifact — a punch-bowl uncovered in an archaeological dig on site of the Museum of the American Revolution — on a virtual tour of the city, and find yourself in market stalls, coffeehouses, illegal taverns, churches, and the halls of government.

* Use this link to join our virtual program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84669859863 The inspiring story of a little-known hero’s pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War. During the brutal winter of 1775-1776, an untested Boston bookseller named Henry Knox commandeered an oxen train hauling sixty tons of cannons and other artillery from Fort Ticonderoga near the Canadian border. He and his men journeyed some three hundred miles south and east over frozen, often-treacherous terrain to supply George Washington for his attack of British troops occupying Boston. The result was the British surrender of Boston and the first major victory for the Colonial Army. This is one of the great stories of the American Revolution, still little known by comparison with the more famous battles of Concord, Lexington, and Bunker Hill. Told with a novelist’s feel for narrative, character, and vivid description, “The Noble Train” brings to life the events and people at a time when the ragtag American rebels were in a desperate situation. Washington’s army was withering away from desertion and expiring enlistments. Typhoid fever, typhus, and dysentery were taking a terrible toll. There was little hope of dislodging British General Howe and his 20,000 British troops in Boston–until Henry Knox

* Use this link to join our virtual program: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86171095302 Warren Township NJ was named after Joseph Warren who was a hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolution. Joseph Warren was the foremost Patriot leader in 1775. He alone made the decision to ignite the American Revolution when he sent his good friend Paul Revere to call out the militia to confront the British in Lexington and Concord. Warren then worked tirelessly to bring military and governmental order out of chaos in the weeks leading to his ultimate sacrifice at the Battle of Bunker Hill. British General William Howe declared Warren’s life equal to 500 ordinary colonials. It was Warren who united the First Continental Congress. It was Warren who implored his friends in Philadelphia to appoint a commander in chief—even suggesting that George Washington be that man. (Washington himself referred to Warren as the commander in chief.) Streets, towns, and counties have been named for him—and for more than a century every schoolchild in America knew his story. Today, the true story of this extraordinary man lies buried beneath the dust of time. Joseph Warren was the essence of Liberty. Presenter: Janet Uhlar. Author, lecturer,

THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE AT BRIDGEWATER LIBRARY, 1 VOGT DRIVE, BRIDGEWATER, NJ 08807 In his new book, “Winning the Ten Crucial Days: The Keys to Victory in George Washington’s Legendary Winter Campaign,” David Price examines this pivotal moment in the War of Independence through an interpretive framework that centers around five key factors: leadership, geography, weather, artillery, and contingency. His focus differs from earlier works that are largely a chronological account. The confluence of these overlapping factors seemingly conspired to frustrate British designs at a critical moment in their effort to overpower the American rebellion. Although each was important in its own right, their aggregate influence on the course of events reflected the mutually reinforcing nature of these elements. They enabled George Washington’s army to win the “Ten Crucial Days” and propel the revolutionary cause into a lengthy war of attrition that eventuated in American independence. According to the author and historian, Edward G. Lengel, Price has given us “a timely and intriguing reappraisal of George Washington’s most outstanding military campaign.” Author and historian Mark Edward Lender notes, “the approach is novel and revealing.” Jack Kelly, author of several books on the Revolution, calls this “a fascinating and insightful look

Game Highlight (2): Fireworks Don’t miss the best fireworks in New Jersey after the game. | Presented By RWJ University Hospital Somerset Game Highlight: Chance To Win $10K Fans (21+) will have the chance to win $10,000 at the ballpark during the game! | Presented By Heineken Silver