On October 21, 1777, 500 Patriots defended Fort Mercer from an attack by 2,000 Hessian troops. It was a victory against all odds. Absent from the history books is the role Black troops played at the battle. In 2019, thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, historians at the Red Bank Battlefield Park and Whitall House in Gloucester County began digging into this missing history. Historian Bob Selig documented that 50 out of 500 troops at the battle were Black. Since then they have been working hard to change the narrative, offer more educational programs and signage, and generally make people aware that African Americans fought in the Revolution.

Rowan University Professor Jennifer Janofsky, who also is Curator at the Battlefield Park and president of the Glen Ridge Historical Society shares her research that explores how the battle was remembered by the Black community even as history books continued to either a) ignore their role or b) deny their participation.

This is a free Zoom presentation:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/92938168537?pwd=T0pGbVgxVUMwVjV0WDBMZlFkbUI0Zz09

Meeting ID: 929 3816 8537 Passcode: 818319

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