About RevolutionNJ

Who We Are

RevolutionNJ is a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC), a division of the New Jersey Department of State, and the nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution Association to plan the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in New Jersey.

  • Scholarship & Research

  • Educational Programs

  • Oversee Budgets/Funding

  • Facilitate Advisory Council

  • Advocacy & Development

  • Media and Marketing

  • Development & Fundraising

  • Consultant Contracts & Studies

Vision

By 2026, New Jersey will be widely recognized and visited for its significance during the American Revolution and how the events, challenges, and ideas of that time continue to shape our nation and can help us form a more perfect union.

RevolutionNJ will advance the role that history plays in public discourse, community engagement, education, tourism, and scholarship in New Jersey. Through a series of initiatives that explore the history of the American Revolution, its context, and its legacy, RevolutionNJ will galvanize diverse audiences statewide into embracing the enduring value and relevance of history.

Strategic Goals

  • GOAL 1

    Tell a diverse and inclusive story about America’s past that invites participation from all New Jerseyans.

  • GOAL 2

    Encourage the growth of organizational capacity at New Jersey’s history organizations so that they are better able to attract, engage, and serve visitors, both during and after RevolutionNJ.

  • GOAL 3

    Promote heritage tourism in and to New Jersey to increase its positive impact on economic and community development.

  • GOAL 4

    Elevate the value placed on history education in our K-12 schools and universities.

  • GOAL 5

    Demonstrate how understanding the complexity of our history helps us to respond to the present and prepare for the future.

  • GOAL 6

    Increase public and private funding for history in New Jersey.

Interpretive Framework

The RevolutionNJ Interpretive Framework serves as a guide for anyone interested in developing programs or content for the Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. It provides a foundation for creating inclusive, goal-driven, audience-centered programs, events, and activities that can be tailored to the needs of an individual or organization. Based on insights from leading scholars, these themes offer multiple ways to consider the events and ideals of the American Revolution and how they continue to impact our lives today.

One-Page Document

Full Document

  • Exclusion/Inclusion

    Since its formal founding (and before), the U.S. has been a society that benefits only some – often at the expense of others. Freedom, rights, power, and success have varied for people depending on their race, ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, sexuality, class, religion, national origin, and other factors.

  • Property and Sovereignty

    Much of U.S. history has hinged on battles over who gets to control land and other resources, communities, and individuals.

  • Revolutionary Ideals

    The stated ideals of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution are abstract terms with different meanings for different people. The extent to which the U.S. has lived up to these ideals to form a “more perfect union” is an ongoing debate.

  • Political Participation

    The Revolution focused largely on what it would mean to be represented and participate in a free and just society. Fights about what representation and participation mean continue today.

  • Movement of People

    New Jersey has long been the site of the movement of people – whether they moved out of need, were forced or coerced to move, or found borders moving around them. This movement shaped historical moments before, during, and after the Revolution.

  • New Jersey as a “Battleground”

    Some of America’s greatest physical and ideological conflicts have come into sharp relief in New Jersey history.

  • The Historical Process

    History is made up of stories we choose to tell about the past based on evidence. Recognizing 1776 as the birthdate for the United States is an interpretive choice that affects how we understand the past, and may mean elevating the narratives of some over others.

RevolutionNJ Quarterly Meetings