Battle of Trenton Day
December 26, 2020
Join us online for virtual events that celebrate Trenton's Revolutionary history!
Due to COVID-19, the annual Patriots Week events are unable to take place.
12 pm - The Trouble with Trenton Virtual Puppet Show!
Everyone’s favorite patriotic puppet show is going virtual this year! Children will be able to experience the magical storytelling of Washington’s crucial victory at the Battle of Trenton, presented by Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theatre. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live to watch with your family! Register online. This program is made possible, in part, by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
1 pm - Hogmanay presented by the Trent House Museum
Hogmanay is the traditional Scottish celebration of the New Year and annually the Trent House Museum recognizes the heritage of William Trent, who immigrated to the English colonies from Scotland in the late 1600s, with our own version of the celebration. This year’s program will feature a concert of Scottish music that American colonists would have heard around the time of the Revolutionary War. Among the selections will be favorites of George Washington and his family, played on recorder and harpsichord by John Burkhalter and Donovan Klotzbeacher of the Practitioners of Musick.
Join on Zoom here. Pay as you can at PayPal, suggested donation $10 - donate to the Trent House here.
2 pm - The Real Story of the Battle of Trenton
Tune in for the history of the Battle of Trenton followed by a Q&A. Asher Lurie, Chief of Historical Interpretation, details the history of the Battle of Trenton as it really happened in a pre-recorded video followed by a live Q&A session following. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
3 pm - Blacks at the Battles of Trenton
Algernon Ward Jr. of Trenton will provide a presentation on the topic of "Blacks at The Battles of Trenton" which will explore the roles of African Americans in the operation of The Old Barracks as a home for soldiers and a military hospital. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
4 pm - The Gentler Conflict: Dancing in 18th Century America
When Sue Dupre leads dances for the Patriots’ Week Colonial Ball each year, she wishes she could tell the dancers much more about 18th century dancing, especially why the 18th century folks didn’t need a dance caller for their balls and assemblies. Please gather with Sue for this video presentation to learn about the important role of dance in 18th society, what dances were done and how they were taught, and tidbits about dancing in the Delaware Valley in the 18th Century. Period music provided by "Early Music Princeton" members Matthew I. McDonald, violin Graduate Student in History, and John Burkhalter, recorder on the staff of the Princeton University Concert Office and an independent scholar. This program is made possible, in part, by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
5 pm - Author Talk: Larry Kidder on "Revolutionary Princeton, 1774-1783: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War”
Join historian Larry Kidder as he discusses his new book "Revolutionary Princeton, 1774-1783: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War”. This book details the lives of Princetonians who lived in the town during the Revolutionary War, and continues the histories detailed in Mr. Kidder’s other works: “Crossroads of the Revolution: Trenton 1774-1783” and “Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s VIsion for Victory Unfolds”. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Books can be pre-oredered here. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
7 pm - Author Talk: Don Hagist on "Noble Volunteers: The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolution"
Join historian Don Hagist as he discusses his new book “Noble Volunteers: The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolution” which brings life to these soldiers, describing the training, experiences, and outcomes of British soldiers who fought during the Revolution. Drawing on thousands of military records and other primary sources in British, American, and Canadian archives, and the writings of dozens of officers and soldiers, Noble Volunteers shows how a peacetime army responded to the onset of war, how professional soldiers adapted quickly and effectively to become tactically dominant, and what became of the thousands of career soldiers once the war was over. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Books can be pre-ordered here. Tune in on Zoom or or Facebook Live. Register online.
Everyone’s favorite patriotic puppet show is going virtual this year! Children will be able to experience the magical storytelling of Washington’s crucial victory at the Battle of Trenton, presented by Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theatre. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live to watch with your family! Register online. This program is made possible, in part, by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
1 pm - Hogmanay presented by the Trent House Museum
Hogmanay is the traditional Scottish celebration of the New Year and annually the Trent House Museum recognizes the heritage of William Trent, who immigrated to the English colonies from Scotland in the late 1600s, with our own version of the celebration. This year’s program will feature a concert of Scottish music that American colonists would have heard around the time of the Revolutionary War. Among the selections will be favorites of George Washington and his family, played on recorder and harpsichord by John Burkhalter and Donovan Klotzbeacher of the Practitioners of Musick.
Join on Zoom here. Pay as you can at PayPal, suggested donation $10 - donate to the Trent House here.
2 pm - The Real Story of the Battle of Trenton
Tune in for the history of the Battle of Trenton followed by a Q&A. Asher Lurie, Chief of Historical Interpretation, details the history of the Battle of Trenton as it really happened in a pre-recorded video followed by a live Q&A session following. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
3 pm - Blacks at the Battles of Trenton
Algernon Ward Jr. of Trenton will provide a presentation on the topic of "Blacks at The Battles of Trenton" which will explore the roles of African Americans in the operation of The Old Barracks as a home for soldiers and a military hospital. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
4 pm - The Gentler Conflict: Dancing in 18th Century America
When Sue Dupre leads dances for the Patriots’ Week Colonial Ball each year, she wishes she could tell the dancers much more about 18th century dancing, especially why the 18th century folks didn’t need a dance caller for their balls and assemblies. Please gather with Sue for this video presentation to learn about the important role of dance in 18th society, what dances were done and how they were taught, and tidbits about dancing in the Delaware Valley in the 18th Century. Period music provided by "Early Music Princeton" members Matthew I. McDonald, violin Graduate Student in History, and John Burkhalter, recorder on the staff of the Princeton University Concert Office and an independent scholar. This program is made possible, in part, by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
5 pm - Author Talk: Larry Kidder on "Revolutionary Princeton, 1774-1783: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War”
Join historian Larry Kidder as he discusses his new book "Revolutionary Princeton, 1774-1783: The Biography of an American Town in the Heart of a Civil War”. This book details the lives of Princetonians who lived in the town during the Revolutionary War, and continues the histories detailed in Mr. Kidder’s other works: “Crossroads of the Revolution: Trenton 1774-1783” and “Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s VIsion for Victory Unfolds”. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Books can be pre-oredered here. Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live. Register online.
7 pm - Author Talk: Don Hagist on "Noble Volunteers: The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolution"
Join historian Don Hagist as he discusses his new book “Noble Volunteers: The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolution” which brings life to these soldiers, describing the training, experiences, and outcomes of British soldiers who fought during the Revolution. Drawing on thousands of military records and other primary sources in British, American, and Canadian archives, and the writings of dozens of officers and soldiers, Noble Volunteers shows how a peacetime army responded to the onset of war, how professional soldiers adapted quickly and effectively to become tactically dominant, and what became of the thousands of career soldiers once the war was over. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Books can be pre-ordered here. Tune in on Zoom or or Facebook Live. Register online.