250th Celebration!
The Country was founded 250 years ago…our Barn was built 250 years ago…coincidence? Probably, but what a great spot to come and enjoy some of the fun and festivities celebrating 250 years of the United States of America! All events are FREE from monthly lectures presented by the NJSAA to the a visit from George Washington on horseback. Also come and enjoy our special release Tavern Ale coming in May while you enjoy your Sip & See adventures to win your own 250th tankard!
Come and snag a pour or a 4-pack of our collaboration with the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association and their Victory Town initiative. Their mission is educating the public both about the National Historic Trail and the Trail’s context within the American Revolution as well. A trail that passed right by the Brewery through Millstone. The Trail marked the march of the American and French troops move to, and ultimately the successful siege of Yorktown - the final victory of the Revolutionary war. We may have declared our independence in 1776, but we did not achieve that independence until the final victory of the Siege at Yorktown.
Melissa Ziobro - What America Sounds Like: 250 Years of American Music
This interactive, multi-media talk provides a look at the iconic music that helps us understand our shared history as we approach the 250th anniversary of American independence. Special emphasis is given to Thomas Edison, Paul Robeson, James P. Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Queen Latifah, Bon Jovi, and others from NJ who have contributed so much to the American music landscape.
Drinking (or not) in Early New Jersey - Michele Rotunda and Tara Maharjan
How much drinking was going on in early New Jersey? This talk will explore the habit of drinking in New Jersey during the Revolutionary era and Early Republic – from commercial brewing to temperance advocates.
Hank Bonnell
Have you ever wondered about the Bonnell Tavern, the building built in 1738 that has been vacant for 75 years that is perched next to Interstate 78 at Exit 15, Pittstown Road in Clinton and Union Township? Do you have a connection to the militia regiment or minuteman regiment formed there? If you’ve lived in Flemington, Union or Clinton for a long time, here is your opportunity to hear more about your possible connection to the building. If you are new to the area and are interested in learning about the importance of this building to the area, here is your chance!
—
The New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance (NJSAA) is an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to advancing teaching and research about New Jersey. The organization brings together educators, historians, geographers, museum professionals, archivists, and librarians. As a proud RevolutionNJ Partner, NJSAA is excited to collaborate with Flounders Brewing in Hillsborough, NJ, to present a series of talks highlighting New Jersey and the 250th commemoration of the American Revolution. These talks are open to everyone and are all about making New Jersey’s Revolutionary past fun and easy to explore. Grab a drink, join the conversation, and connect with fellow history lovers and neighbors in a Revolutionary War era barn.
The Search for the Lost Revolutionary Fort in the Plainfields - Nancy Piwowar & Rich Palmatier
In December 1776, local Patriot Cornelius Vermeule allowed the construction of a militia post and fort on his plantation – the largest in the area. This encampment was key to protecting the southeastern flank of Washington’s Middlebrook encampment and played a noteworthy role in the 1777 Battle of Short Hills.
Paul Soltis - Historic Preservation "Down the Brook" at Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage
Learn about the significance of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage to New Jersey and the American Revolution, explore the work taking place under the scaffolding as preservation architects and contractors reintroduce traditional techniques and sustainable materials to the historic structures, and contribute your own comments to inform the State of New Jersey and Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association’s Revitalization of Wallace House & Old Dutch Parsonage State Historic Sites as a legacy of Revolution NJ.
Recapturing a Revolutionary Past: Widows Pensions and Illuminating the Female Experience During the War for Independence - Nicole Skalenko
Coined the “Crossroads of the American Revolution,” New Jersey was a hotbed of political unrest during the War for American Independence and witnessed more conflict than nearly any other state.
Phil Papas - George Washington’s Other Spy Ring: The Dayton-Mersereau-Hendricks Spy Ring
The Dayton-Mersereau-Hendricks spy ring was General George Washington’s first organized intelligence network, predating the more famous Culper spy ring. Washington set up the Mersereau ring in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in early December 1776 when he asked Staten Islander Joshua Mersereau to recruit operatives that would report critical information from behind enemy lines on Staten Island.
Erika Gorder - Queens College and the American Revolution
This talk will explore the newborn college and the role of its students, tutors, and founders in the revolution. Tracing the activities and philosophies of figures like John Taylor, Frederick Frelinghuysen, and Simeon DeWitt, we'll look at the region and its people, the culture and intellectual underpinnings of Queens College, and their impact on the war effort.
George Washington Visit - ON HORSEBACK!
Come visit the Brewery and meet George Washington himself arriving on horseback! Ask questions, enjoy a beer, learn about the revolutionary war and the founding of our nation when we declared our independence 250 years ago - right around when our Barn was being built!
Greg Gillette - Revolutionary Hillsborough
The talk will include a description of Hillsborough in the 1770s and why the area was important during the war. Also included will be some lesser-known stories of Hillsborough patriots!
249th Commemoration of the Battle of Bound Brook
ON LOCATION…at the Abraham Staats house
Join Flounder Brewing as we pour beer at the 249th Commemoration of the Battle of Bound Brook, two days of reenactments of this critical battle during the founding of our Country. Grab a beer in the beer garden right outside of the Abraham Staats house and chat with a reenactor about what it is like in their time. Visit their website HERE for more information and the list of daily activities.
Maxine Lurie - The Loyalists: Those in the American Revolution Who Wanted a King
Many people think slavery only existed in the American South and that all those in the British colonies during the Revolution were Patriots. Not so. New Jersey residents were bitterly divided during what became a nasty civil war. The third or more of probable Loyalists can be divided into those who were active picking up arms, irreconcilables opposed to Independence who became exiles, those who remained during the war, and then those who left and later returned.
Kate Gulck-Tuers - Culture at the Crossroads: New Jerseyans in the Revolutionary War
History is written by the victors, but what was the lived experience for the average New Jerseyan during the Revolutionary War? Using primary sources from the collections at the New Jersey State Archives, this talk will explore how the Revolutionary War affected everyone – Patriot, Loyalist, or those who tried to stay politically neutral, in Somerset County and beyond.