Revolutionary Lives: Living the American Experiment Then and Now

About:

New Jersey’s diversity mirrors its Revolutionary narrative. Like today, the state was a rich mix of distinct languages, religions and cultures. Loyalties were roughly divided between those supporting the Revolution, those opposed and the rest who were uncommitted. Allegiances bred bitter divisions and deep suspicion, creating, in many ways, a civil war. By the end of the War, the state suffered more damage than most and endured more violent clashes than any other.

This traveling exhibition explores this tumultuous period through the stories of everyday people under extraordinary circumstances. They urge us to consider how their stories echo through time, and what we can do to fulfill the promises and ideals of the Revolution.

The Stories:

• “All Hands on Deck”: Captain Adam Hyler

• “Caught in the Crossfire”: Ann Cooper Whithall

• “An Independent Lenape Nation”: Shawuskukhkung (Bartholomew Calvin)

• “A Child of the Revolution”: Friday Truehart

• “Revolution and Religion”: Abraham Beach and Alexander MacWhorter

• “Free and Fearless: The Remarkable Story of a Black Patriot”: Oliver Cromwell

• “Women at War”: Theodosia Prevost and Cornelia Vought

• “An Ordinary Soldier”: Timothy Tuttle

• Which Side to Choose? Enslaved Soldiers Fight for Freedom”: Colonel Tye and Samuel Sutphen

• “Slavery and Family”: Elizabeth Covenhoven and Yana

This exhibition is a project of RevolutionNJ, a partnership between The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the New Jersey Department of State, and Crossroads of the American Revolution Association Inc.