Washington Place
Morristown, New Jersey 07960
(201) 645-4531 or (973) 539-2085

Washington's winter camp at Morristown was about thirty-five miles north of Princeton and the same distance west of New York City. It enjoyed the natural protection of the steep hills of the Watchung Mountains, as well as giving Washington the option of moving the Continental Army south, onto the flat plains of New Jersey or north, into the Highlands of the Hudson River Valley. Washington arrived on 6 January and remained encamped until 28 May 1777. For most of that period he made Arnold's Tavern in Morristown his headquarters. He found the place so advantageous that he returned for the winter of 1779-1780.

Morristown National Historic Park is composed of 1,700 acres, which includes two historic sites of interest to historians of the Revolutionary War. The first is the Upper Redoubt site in the Fort Nonsense Unit of the park, where Washington briefly made his headquarters in January 1777. The second is the Jacob Ford Mansion in the Jockey Hollow Unit of the park, which served as Washington's headquarters during the winter of 1779-1780. The Park is administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

The Betsy Ross House
239 Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
(215) 627-5343

On 14 June the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted a resolution stating "the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The United States of America had a flag. Historians do not have enough information to be certain of the role played by Betsy Ross in designing the flag, but she seems likely to have sewn it.

The Independence Hall Association and the Betsy Ross House have developed a fully articulated web site, where the reader can enjoy a biography of Betsy's life, learn the history of the American flag, decide for him or herself the extent of Betsy's involvement in creating the first flag, learn the history of the House at 239 Arch Street, take a 'virtual tour' of the House, even purchase a replica of the Betsy Ross flag. This is an excellent example of the information services value of the web. The Betsy Ross House is owned and administered by the City of Philadelphia.

In late June 1777 General Howe assembled 18,000 British soldiers at Perth Amboy, moved them to New Brunswick, divided the army in half, and sent both forces into the field, hoping to engage Washington in a major military action. Washington, fearful the British would again attack Princeton and Trenton, marched the Continental Army twenty miles south to Middle Brook (present day Bound Brook) in the foothills of Somerset County. He was unwilling, however, to risk a decisive battle. He remained encamped at Middle Brook and refused to engage the Redcoats' superior force. Howe waited a few days and then responded with the appearance of total withdrawal. The British troops marched back through Middlesex County, first to New Brunswick and then, burning everything before them, all the way back to Perth Amboy. Washington ordered the Continental Army to follow Howe. On 26 June Howe suddenly attacked, hoping to catch Washington in or near New Brunswick. Again, however, Washington withdrew, having prepared for the possibility of a trap. Howe then evacuated all British and Hessian troops from New Jersey ferrying them back to Staten Island.

In an astonishing turnabout from November 1776, in just seven months New Jersey was free of all British forces. Washington, believing that Howe's troops were now certain to move up the Hudson River, marched the Continental Army through northern New Jersey and into the Haverstraw and West Point areas of New York.

On 24 July, Washington learned that General Howe had loaded his army on the armada of warships and transports of his brother, Admiral Howe and put out to open sea. This was both surprising and suspicious. Washington knew that General John Burgoyne was leading a British and German army of 9,000 soldiers south from Canada into the Hudson River Valley. He knew that on 6 July Burgoyne had captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. He believed that Howe would surely reappear and proceed up the Hudson as fast as his ships could take him. Washington nevertheless realized that Howe might also be launching an attack on Philadelphia. By 29 July he had marched the Continental Army back south, taking up a defensive position on the Delaware River, just north of Trenton. There he hoped to learn of Howe's plan of attack.

Meanwhile, beginning at Lake Champlain in late June, British General John Burgoyne set out to advance south, through the wilderness and down the Hudson River Valley. At Albany he expected to meet at least a portion of General Howe's army and thereby divide the American colonies in half. It was not to be. On 17 September and again on 7 October American forces under Generals Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold defeated Burgoyne's British and Hessian troops. On 17 October Burgoyne surrendered approximately one quarter of all the British forces in North America. It was the turning point in the War. The French soon recognized the United States and joined the Americans in a military alliance. In 1779 the Spanish followed and in 1780, still other nations sided against the British.

In 1927 New York State established the Saratoga Battlefield as a state park. Nine years later the U.S. Congress incorporated the state park into the Saratoga National Historical Park. Today Americans celebrate this watershed in Revolutionary War history at three sites in and near Stillwater, New York. The National Park is supported by a strong Friends of Saratoga Battlefield group.