Taking Sides in Revolutionary New Jersey

The American Revolution in New Jersey lasted eight long years, during which many New Jerseyans were caught in the middle of a vicious civil war. Residents living in an active war zone took varied stands from “loyalist” to “patriot” to neutral and/or "trimmer" (those who changed sides for a variety of reasons). Men and women, blacks and whites, Native Americans, and various ethnic and religious groups all found themselves in this difficult middle ground. When taking sides, sometimes family was important. For others it was religion or political principles. The unfolding events of the war and geography also mattered.  

Come hear Maxine Lurie talk about her newest book, Taking Sides in Revolutionary New Jersey: Caught in the Crossfire. Through numerous brief biographies, Lurie illustrates the American Revolution’s complexity by focusing on people rather than battles. In doing so, she provides perspective for the difficult choices we make in our own times.

Presenter

Maxine N. Lurie is a professor emerita of history at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. She is the editor of A New Jersey Anthology and a co-editor of Encyclopedia of New Jersey, Mapping New Jersey: An Evolving Landscape, New Jersey: A History of the Garden State, and Envisioning New Jersey: An Illustrated History of the Garden State, all from Rutgers University Press.

Free & open to the public (immediately following the Skirmish)

Saturday, June 1 at 3 p.m.

Grace Church in Haddonfield, 19 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033