Sarah Osborn Benjamin

While the city of Boston has swallowed up most of the Bunker Hill battlefield, visitors can still see the Battle of Bunker Hill monument, a 221-foot-tall obelisk commemorating the battle, and a statue of Colonel Williams Prescott, one of the ranking officers on the field for the New England militia during the battle, on the site where the battle took place.

Monmouth Battlefield State Park maintains and interprets the battlefield where the Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse, was fought on June 28, 1778. Three of the original seven farmhouses present during the battle are still standing today on the battlefield, including the Sutfin Farmhouse, the Rhea-Applegate House, and the Craig House. The 1,818-acre park has historic walking trails and a visitor center.

Minute Man National Historic Park maintains and interprets multiple sites associated with the first day of fighting of the American Revolution, such as the Lexington and Concord Battlefields. In this first battle of the American Revolution, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats, and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence. Together we have saved 1 acre of land at the Lexington and Concord Battlefields.

The Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site maintains and interprets the battlefield where the Battle of Brandywine took place on September 11, 1777. While most of the battlefield has been overrun by suburban residential developments, visitors can still see the site of the Continental Army encampment, explore the area with a self-guided driving tour, and visit their site’s visitor center and museum.

The Battle of Brooklyn, also known as the Battle of Long Island, was fought on August 27, 1776, and took place in what is now the neighborhood of Brooklyn. This is where efforts to fortify New York City from a British attack led to the Revolutionary War’s biggest battle and a crushing defeat for the Patriots. Currently, “The Old Stone House” stands where the Marylanders made their final effort to hold back the British, and the Dongan Oak Monument in Prospect Park lies where Continental troops cut down an enormous oak tree to slow the British advance.

Princeton Battlefield State Park, just a mile southwest of Princeton University, maintains and interprets the scene of George Washington’s 1777 victory. The famous Mercer Oak, not far from where General Hugh Mercer fell during the battle, and Thomas Clarke House, built in 1772, both witnessed the fighting. An Ionic Collonade and stone patio on the property mark the grave of 21 British and 15 American soldiers killed in the battle. Together we have saved 24 acres at Princeton Battlefield. 

After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm, General George Washington’s army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops.

The Battle of White Plains fought on October 28, 1776, took place north of New York City in current-day White Plains, New York. George Washington had moved to this fortified position after the American defeats at the Battles of Long Island and Harlem Heights. However, American forces couldn’t hold the position, and Washington was soon forced to abandon New York and retreat across New Jersey.  

The Battle of Oriskany was part of British operations in the Hudson Valley. The British, under the overall command of General John Burgoyne, planned to move south from Quebec and capture Fort Ticonderoga and Albany. British General William Howe was to march north from New York and rendezvous with Burgoyne at Albany, effectively severing New England from the rest of the colonies. 

Saratoga National Historical Park maintains and interprets the battlefield where the Battles of Saratoga took place from September to October 1777. While exploring the park, visitors can see the famous Boot Monument, which commemorated Benedict Arnold’s role in the battle and is the only war memorial in the U.S. that does not bear the name of its honoree; the Saratoga Battle Monument; a visitor center, which runs a 20-min orientation film; and walking trails.

The Colonial National Historical Park maintains and interprets American history from the first English settlements in the Colony of Virginia to the battlefields of Yorktown, where the British army surrendered to the Continental Army in October 1781. Though established to commemorate the colonial era, this park also was the site of the 1862 Battle of Yorktown fought during Gen. George B. McClellan’s Peninsula campaign. Together we have saved 49 acres of land in the area.  

Located across the street from the Savanna History Museum, the Battlefield Memorial Park commemorates the Siege of Savannah from September to October 1779 on the city of Savannah by the Patriot forces and, more specifically, the Battle of Savannah on October 9, 1779. Visitors can explore the site and take guided tours to learn more about the Southern Campaign and Savannah’s role in the American Revolution.

In downtown Charleston, South Carolina, visitors can visit Marion Square and read a historical marker describing the 1780 Siege of Charleston, which ended in British forces successfully taking the city and gaining access to Charleston Harbor. Nearby, visitors can also see Fort Moultrie, which the American forces unsuccessfully used to defend the city from British attack during the siege.

Visitors can learn more about the siege of Pensacola at Fort George Park in Pensacola, Florida. While the original 1778 fort no longer exists, the park marks its original location and has a partial reconstruction of the structure. In addition, visitors can read historical markers talking about the fort, the siege, and Florida’s role in the Revolutionary War at the site.

Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site maintains and interprets the battlefield where the Battle of Bennington took place on August 16, 1777. On the 276 acres of preserved battlefield land, visitors can learn more about the battle at the visitor center or explore numerous walking trails. In the nearby historic village of Bennington, visitors can also see the 306-foot-high stone obelisk commemorating those that fought in the battle.

Declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Heritage Park in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is the site of the Battle of Rhode Island that took place on August 29, 1778. Today the site has an interpretive sign explaining the history of the battle, and visitors can see a memorial to Rhode Islanders who lost their lives during the conflict in nearby Patriot’s Park.

Newtown Battlefield State Park was the site of the Battle of Newton that signaled the end of the Sullivan Campaign, the drive ordered by George Washington to remove the mostly pro-British Iroquois nations from the New York frontier and end the threat they posed. Located along the eastern bank of the Chemung River in western New York, visitors can still visit the site today and explore the battlefield on walking trails.