<p>The First Hunterdon Militia Regiment of New Jersey containing the men from today's Trenton, Ewing Township, Hopewell Township, and Lawrence Township was continually called on to defend the state throughout the period 1775-1783. This is their story, told for the first time, describing the mental and physical challenges associated with fighting a war for independence while also trying to survive economically as farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. Their individual and group stories help us understand many things about the lives of ordinary people during the war and explore many questions, including the following: Why did George Washington describe the New Jersey militiamen and their families as “a people harassed and exhausted?” Why did New Jersey Governor William Livingston describe the militia laws as placing “a disproportionate burden on the willing?” What was the purpose of the militia? Who was required to be in the militia and who could volunteer? Why, since the law required it, did some militiamen not own their own musket and other equipment? Why did so many militiamen who supported the cause of independence refuse to turn out for active duty? What roles did militiamen play in battles such as Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth, and Springfield? What did militiamen do in-between the major battles? How did the British occupation of New York City and Staten Island from 1776 to 1783 complicate the lives of militiamen living along the Delaware River in western New Jersey? Drawing on many primary sources that often allow the militiamen to tell their stories, this story helps us understand how the American Revolution was experienced in the Mid-Atlantic States.</p>

A People Harassed and Exhausted

History

Kidder, Larry

Americas

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Pleasant Valley lies in the northwestern corner of Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey and has been fortunate in not being subject to the type of suburban development that has obscured so much of the farmland and rural communities in the Mid-Atlantic States. A visitor to the Pleasant Valley area can still “read” elements in the landscape and buildings that tell the knowledgeable observer some of the history of the Valley as an agricultural region. For over 250 years farming was the primary activity in the Valley and a sense of community identity developed focused first on the local grist mill and later on the local rural school house. This book tells the story of how life changed over those 250 years both in general and for specific farmers and their families. Drawing on a number of original sources provided by local families, the Howell Living History Farm located in the Valley, and local historical societies, this is a unique story that provides a case study that helps us understand life in rural communities from the late 17th to the 20th century. The Pleasant Valley Historic District was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and this is the story of its history. In this story we meet farmers, blacksmiths, grist mill owners, Revolutionary War militiamen, slave owners, tenant farmers, and baseball players among a host of characters and learn how the land formations, roads, Delaware River, creeks, canal, railroad, and nearby villages contributed to and helped shape their lives.

Farming Pleasant Valley: 250 Years of Life in Rural Hopewell Township, New Jersey

Belgian Draft Horse Chester: A Story of Friendship

Teen & Young Adult

Biographies

William L. Kidder

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Books by Kidder, Larry