Morven Museum & Garden will host the PBS Cadwalader Lecture featuring local author and historian John Rees, at Morven on Feb. 27, according to the Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) and Morven.
Rees will discuss the largely unknown and under-appreciated role Black soldiers played in the fight for Independence at Princeton and the American Revolution.
Rees, of New Hope, has been writing for almost 40 years on the experiences of common soldiers and women in the armies of the American Revolution; his most recent book, released in January, is “Don Troiani’s Black Soldiers in America’s Wars, 1754-1865,” which combines Rees’ narrative and captions with Troiani’s paintings.
“PBS is excited to have John deliver the second Cadwalader Lecture next month, following our inaugural lecture with Richard Brookhiser in November,” said Ben Strong, PBS president. “One of our goals is to tell the story of the common soldiers at the Battle of Princeton and go beyond just looking at the great generals who led army, and part of that story talking about the Black soldiers who made up a critical part of the American fight for Independence at Princeton and throughout the war.”
“We are extremely pleased to partner with Morven to cohost this Cadwalader lecture,” Strong said. “We are the two premier Revolutionary sites in Princeton, two of the most important in Mercer County and New Jersey, and PBS’ and Morven’s stories and our missions are interlocking and complementary. We thank Morven for hosting this edition of the Cadwalader series.”
“Morven was the home to Signer Richard Stockton,” said Morven Board Chair Liza Morehouse. “What he promised when he signed the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, the men who fought at the Battle of Princeton, about a mile from here, paid for with blood, sweat and toil.
“We are glad Morven and PBS are working together to tell Princeton’s Revolutionary history with the 250th anniversary of the nation coming. We are elated we can play a role in welcoming John Rees to tell the story of these often forgotten soldiers.”
“It’s an honor to be invited to speak by Princeton Battlefield Society, and I certainly look forward to doing so at Morven,” Rees said. “The joint project with Don was a wonderful opportunity to highlight Black soldiers’ service and experiences in our founding conflicts.”
Rees will sign copies of “Don Troiani’s Black Soldiers in America’s Wars, 1754-1865 at Morven’s Stockton Education Center beginning at 6 p.m. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit PBS and Morven.
For more information visit Princeton Battlefield Society at https://pbs1777.org/ or Morven at morven.org.
