Personal audio tour brings the Revolutionary War to life in New Jersey

A new app brings 10 crucial days of United States history to life as users drive the roadways of the modern-day Garden State.

News 12 Staff

Dec 20, 2021, 11:11 PM

Updated 1,022 days ago

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New Jersey’s rich Revolutionary War history can be hard to relate to now in a state where the landscape has been paved over and changed in many ways. But a new app brings 10 crucial days of United States history to life as users drive the roadways of the modern-day Garden State.
New Jersey typically honors the anniversary of then-General George Washington’s Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 and the 10 days that followed. The events turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. And now New Jersey residents can participate in an audio tour of that event.
The tour is produced by Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and the app Travelstory GPS. Participants can hit play, get in their car and follow a GPS-guided tour to each site. The sites include the crossing of the Delaware River, along the brutal march through the snow and sleet to Trenton, to the first and second Battles of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton.
Crossroads Trustee Patrick Murray says the tour is designed to tell the story of New Jersey's unique role as the crossroads of the revolution, not only at ground level, but also through a human lens.
“The stories that we tell in New Jersey are really unique. They’re stories that you don’t get necessarily in places like Massachusetts or Pennsylvania or Virginia. The people of New Jersey – one of the most diverse states then, [and one of the] most diverse states now - suffered in a way, experiences…that were really unique and intense,” Murray says.
Each stop has a guided explanation, sound effects, actors reading first-person recollections of soldiers who fought and others who were there and music between each stop to keep the vibe alive.
Listeners can pause the tour whenever they wish and explore each site.
The Crossroads of the American Revolution organization is planning the release of more New Jersey audio tours starting with one focusing on the Morristown area.
More information about the tour can be found on RevolutionaryNJ.org.