February 23, 2022
More than a One-Day Battle: Revolutionary Princeton 1774-1783
Larry Kidder
Author, Historian of Princeton
Rob Fraser, introducer, and Larry Kidder
Minutes of the 21st Meeting of the 80th Year
Stephen Schreiber presided at the meeting with 126 members and guests in attendance. Guests were Jim McCloskey (guest of Al Kaemmerlen), Costa Papastephanou (guest of Ralph Widner), and Miles Gordon (guest of Ugy Horowitz). President Schreiber reported the deaths of two members, George Hansen and Terry Harris Grabar. A moment of silence was held in their honor.
Julie Denney read the minutes of the preceding week’s meeting.
Rob Fraser introduced the speaker, Larry Kidder, author and historian of Princeton.
The Battle of Princeton did not just affect soldiers. The town of Princeton was small in 1774 (fewer than 1,000 people) but situated midway between New York and Philadelphia and therefore of strategic importance. The town consisted of craftsmen, tradesmen, lawyers, doctors, and retail merchants. There were many taverns because it was a day’s stage journey between Philadelphia and New York.
Princeton had a mixture of Presbyterians and Quakers. Princeton University was then called the College of New Jersey and was Presbyterian. There were enslaved people among the denizens. Many of the famous names from that time were slave owners including Witherspoon, Bainbridge, and Stockton. The number of slaves per household was small and they did a variety of tasks. The liberty that was spoken of, of course, did not refer to them.
There were several different levels of support for the revolution among Princetonians: “patriot” and “loyalist” are fuzzy terms. There were both active and passive supporters of the British cause as there were on the revolutionary side. Ideas for a solution varied widely.
By 1776, the British occupied most of the area and housed multiple regiments in Trenton and Princeton. The troops needed supplies, and they took them from residents.
On December 26, 1776, the Battle of Trenton took place. After this, Washington wanted to take Princeton because of its important location. The British sent 10,000 new troops to Princeton intending to use them to recapture Trenton. A very important spy map was delivered to Washington that showed the British defenses. This allowed Washington’s forces to attack from the back side of town, which was not well defended.
In the night of January 2, 1777, many of the British forces headed south to Trenton, leaving 1500 troops behind. Washington and his army went around the British, wanting to attack from three separate angles.
One side did break through, and the two armies ran into each other on the Princeton Battlefield. Washington’s troops surrounded the British on three sides and outnumbered them, so the British retreated. The two forces met again at Frog Hollow and the battle ended in town. On December 26, 1776, British forces had controlled most of the area around Princeton. After that date, the Americans did. In spring, the British left New Jersey.
The American occupation of Princeton lasted the rest of the revolution. The presence of troops and militia needing supplies made it hard on its residents. Plundering occurred but there was also money to be made. The Continental Congress met here as well. At the end of the war, Witherspoon, Stockton, and Morgan all had a role in the new Congress. Bainbridge stayed on the British side.
Princeton had played an important role in the war for independence.
Respectfully submitted,
Helena Bienstock
Julie Denney read the minutes of the preceding week’s meeting.
Rob Fraser introduced the speaker, Larry Kidder, author and historian of Princeton.
The Battle of Princeton did not just affect soldiers. The town of Princeton was small in 1774 (fewer than 1,000 people) but situated midway between New York and Philadelphia and therefore of strategic importance. The town consisted of craftsmen, tradesmen, lawyers, doctors, and retail merchants. There were many taverns because it was a day’s stage journey between Philadelphia and New York.
Princeton had a mixture of Presbyterians and Quakers. Princeton University was then called the College of New Jersey and was Presbyterian. There were enslaved people among the denizens. Many of the famous names from that time were slave owners including Witherspoon, Bainbridge, and Stockton. The number of slaves per household was small and they did a variety of tasks. The liberty that was spoken of, of course, did not refer to them.
There were several different levels of support for the revolution among Princetonians: “patriot” and “loyalist” are fuzzy terms. There were both active and passive supporters of the British cause as there were on the revolutionary side. Ideas for a solution varied widely.
By 1776, the British occupied most of the area and housed multiple regiments in Trenton and Princeton. The troops needed supplies, and they took them from residents.
On December 26, 1776, the Battle of Trenton took place. After this, Washington wanted to take Princeton because of its important location. The British sent 10,000 new troops to Princeton intending to use them to recapture Trenton. A very important spy map was delivered to Washington that showed the British defenses. This allowed Washington’s forces to attack from the back side of town, which was not well defended.
In the night of January 2, 1777, many of the British forces headed south to Trenton, leaving 1500 troops behind. Washington and his army went around the British, wanting to attack from three separate angles.
One side did break through, and the two armies ran into each other on the Princeton Battlefield. Washington’s troops surrounded the British on three sides and outnumbered them, so the British retreated. The two forces met again at Frog Hollow and the battle ended in town. On December 26, 1776, British forces had controlled most of the area around Princeton. After that date, the Americans did. In spring, the British left New Jersey.
The American occupation of Princeton lasted the rest of the revolution. The presence of troops and militia needing supplies made it hard on its residents. Plundering occurred but there was also money to be made. The Continental Congress met here as well. At the end of the war, Witherspoon, Stockton, and Morgan all had a role in the new Congress. Bainbridge stayed on the British side.
Princeton had played an important role in the war for independence.
Respectfully submitted,
Helena Bienstock