Celebrate 250 Years of Independence: Battlefields to visit in the Northeast
Gathering at Neilson House in Saratoga National Historical Park. Credit: NPS Photo/Kristin Vinduska
On July Fourth, Americans will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Take a road trip to explore three Revolutionary War battlefields located in the Northeast to honor the Semiquincentennial and things to do nearby.
Upstate New York: Saratoga National Historical Park
648 NY-32, Stillwater
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 4 hours away
A soldier reenactor from the 10th Massachusetts Regiment is bringing history to life at Saratoga National Historical Park.
WHAT HAPPENED HERE: There were two battles of Saratoga in 1777, as the Americans, led by Gen. Horatio Gates, sought to thwart a British advance down the Hudson River Valley led by John "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne. The first, on Sept. 19, was a minor British victory, but Burgoyne chose to wait for support arriving from New York City rather than follow through. It never materialized, but American reinforcements did. Now outnumbering the supply-starved British and their Hessian mercenaries three-to-one, the patriot forces, led by Benedict Arnold, not only soundly defeated the British in the second battle on Oct. 18, but subsequently surrounded them as they retreated, thus compelling Burgoyne to surrender his entire army of 6,200 men. It was the patriots' first significant victory of the war, and as such, prompted France to recognize America as an independent country.
SEEING THE BATTLEFIELD: The 10-mile, 10-interpretive stop park tour road begins at the visitor center and loops through the 4-square-mile battlefield. The tour continues eight miles north in Schuylerville (the original "Saratoga") with four more sites; Gen. Schuyler’s rebuilt country manor, Victory Woods; the surrender site and the climbable 155-foot-high Saratoga Monument.
- HOURS Grounds: sunrise to sunset daily; visitor center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- COST Free
- MORE INFO 518-670-2985, nps.gov/sara/index
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
See a show this summer at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Credit: Newsday/Scott Vogel
Saratoga Springs with all its equine attractions lies 15 miles to the northwest. See a concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Dave Matthews Band on July 17-18 and Tim McGraw on July 25; 108 Avenue of the Pines, 518-584-9330, spac.org) soak in mineral baths at Roosevelt Baths & Spa (39 Roosevelt Dr., Saratoga Springs, 518-584-7035, gideonputnam.com) or catch the summer racing season at Saratoga Race Track (267 Union Ave., 518-584-6200, nyra.com/saratoga).
Catch a horse race at Saratoga Race Track. Credit: AP/Hans Pennink
While Lake George and all its activities, lies 30 miles to the north. Enjoy scenic Lake George steamboat cruises with the Lake George Steamboat Company (57 Beach Rd., 518-668-5777, lakegeorgesteamboat.com). Tackle the moderate climb of Sleeping Beauty Mountain (Hog Town Road/Shelving Rock Road, Fort Ann) or the rugged trails of Buck Mountain (1750 Pilot Knob Rd., Kattskill Bay) for panoramic lake views.
Massachusetts: Minute Man National Historical Park
250 North Great Rd., Lincoln
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 4 hours away
Hartwell Tavern is a restored 18th century home located along the Battle Road in Minute Man National Historical Park. Credit: NPS Photo
WHAT HAPPENED HERE: The American Revolution began here on April 19, 1775, when Massachusetts militiamen, alerted to the imminent arrival of 700 British Redcoats from Boston by postriders Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, gathered at dawn on Lexington’s Green to repel them. They failed gloriously. But by 8 a.m., when the British attempted to cross Concord’s Old North Bridge, the patriots, now 400 strong, were up to the task, halting the British advance in "the shot heard 'round the world." With the help of additional militia units from outlying communities that arrived during the course of the day, the patriots were able to hound the retreating British soldiers back to Boston where they remained trapped until March of 1776.
Visitors cross the North Bridge near a site where five Revolutionary War musket balls were found. Credit: AP/Charles Krupa
SEEING THE BATTLEFIELD: There are two visitors centers, the first near Lexington in the east, the second at North Bridge in Concord to the west. Connecting the two is the five-mile pedestrian/bike Battle Road Trail whose two dozen stops are also easily accessible by car from Route 2A. Fronting Lexington Green, but owned and operated separately, is the Buckman Tavern, where the local minutemen gathered in the pre-dawn hours of April 19, 1775 ($15, free 17 and under, includes the Lexington Depot, a local history museum).
- HOURS Grounds: Sunrise to sunset; visitor centers: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- COST Free
- MORE INFO 978-369-6993, nps.gov/mima/index
A statue of Henry David Thoreau stands outside a replica of his cabin near the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Mass. Credit: AP/Michael Dwyer
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "Old Manse" overlooking the Old North Bridge (269 Monument St., Concord, : 978.369.3909, thetrustees.org; tours: $15, $10 for kids); The Wayside, home to both Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott (455 Lexington Rd., Concord, nps.gov; free); Orchard House, later home of Alcott (399 Lexington Rd., Concord, 978-369-4118, louisamayalcott.org; $15, $8 ages 6-17); and Walden Pond State Reservation, site of Henry David Thoreau’s cabin (915 Walden St., Concord, 978-369-3254, visitconcord.org; parking: $30 for out-of-state plates). Boston, with all its own Revolutionary history and more, lies 22 miles to the east. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum (306 Congress St., 866-955-0667, bostonteapartyship.com) features exhibits, artifacts and full-scale replica sailing vessels from the 18th-century.
New Jersey: Monmouth Battlefield State Park
20 State Rte. 33, Manalapan
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 2 hours away
WHAT HAPPENED HERE: On a sweltering hot June 28, 1778, George Washington and his pursuing Continental Army overtook and ambushed Sir Henry Clinton’s much larger, but slower, British army as it made its way to the safety of New York City after having abandoned Philadelphia 10 days earlier. Though proclaimed an American victory since the patriots remained in possession of the field after the British slipped away in the night, the battle itself, which ended in a two-hour artillery exchange, was inconclusive, with more men on both sides succumbing to the heat than injuries. Still, it allowed the Americans to reclaim all of "the Jersies."
SEEING THE BATTLEFIELD: Visitors can explore 13 foot trails (0.6 to 4 miles in length) that cover the 1,800-acre site they choose, starting either from the visitor center or one of the four parking lots off the Freehold-English Bow Road. Among the most worthwhile are the Hedgerow and Parsonage, scene of the fiercest fighting and Mary Ludwig Hays, which tells the story of the legendary Molly Pitcher, a nickname given to a woman who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
- HOURS Grounds: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; Visitor center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- COST Free
- MORE INFO 732-462-9616, dep.nj.gov
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
People hang out at the beach in Asbury Park. Credit: Getty Images/Kena Betancur
Asbury Park and the entire Jersey Shore begin 12 miles east. Head to The Stone Pony for local and mainstream acts (Billy Currington and Kip Moore on July 18 and Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, & Spin Doctors on Aug. 6; 913 Ocean Ave., N, 732-502-0600, stoneponyonline.com). Six Flags Great America Amusement Park (1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson Township, 732-928-2000, sixflags.com) lies 14 miles southwest. Families can ride rollercoasters like El Toro, Jersey Devil Coaster and Batman: The Ride.
