With the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” the founding fathers created a new nation in 1776.
This July 4th, Americans will celebrate the 250the anniversary of the U.S. and the signing of the Declaration of Independence – a living document that still inspires people around the world who struggle with repressive governments.
For the next five years, soldiers in the Continental Army valiantly fought against the British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries and in 1781 – with the help of a French blockade – finally defeated the mighty English army at Yorktown.
Six years later, the founding fathers approved the U.S. Constitution, also a living document that delivered the promise of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion and has been amended over the years to end slavery and give women the right to vote.
Many events have been planned in the Delaware Valley to celebrate the anniversary, including the grand opening of the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey at the historic Benjamin Cooper Tavern in Camden on June 20.
The Cherry Hill library will welcome historian Jim Segrave-Daly for his “Revolutionary Brothers and Sisters” presentation on Tuesday, May 26 at 7 p.m. about the heroic man and women who played critical roles in the founding of the United States from George Washington to Abigail Adams.
The Haddon Fortnightly in Haddonfield will host “Tea with Marsha Washington” on Sunday, May 31, and Downtown Haddonfield will host its annual skirmish on Saturday, June 6, at 9 a.m. Residents can also meet soldier reenactors and witness a yelling contest.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend the museum’s grand opening on a lonely stretch of overgrown ground in Camden just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Its building, constructed in 1734, played a major part in the Revolutionary War.
Built by the grandson of Camden’s founder William Cooper, the Benjamin Cooper Tavern offered food and beverages to people crossing the Delaware River from Philadelphia on the Cooper’s Point Ferry. It continued to serve as an inn, a tavern and ferry headquarters, and was the center of many battles in South Jersey during the English Army’s Philadelphia Campaign in 1777 and 1778.
“The Benjamin Cooper Tavern is one of Camden City’s most significant historic sites, so it is imperative that we preserve it for generations to come,” Camden County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said. “This project keeps an important piece of regional history alive and will allow residents and visitors to learn more about the history that surrounds them on a daily basis.”
In March 1777, the Skirmish at Cooper’s Ferry between the British and the Continentals was fought at the Cooper Tavern, and the Hessians came and went through there for the Battle of Red Bank, according to Camden County Historical Society executive director Jack O’Byrne.
Some 15,000 troops went through Cooper’s Ferry and stayed briefly at the tavern during the evacuation of Philadelphia on the way to the Skirmish in Haddonfield and the Battle of Monmouth. The New Jersey Militia attacked the British encampment there, and 32 men were taken prisoner or killed at the site, said O’Byrne, adding that the museum includes displays about Revolutionary War battles in South Jersey during the Philadelphia Campaign.
The historical society is dedicating the facility to the overlooked American Revolution history of Southern New Jersey, O’Byrne noted. “The project will also examine the promise of the Declaration of Independence’s statement that ‘All men are created equal,’ and the struggle for equality to the present day.”
Philadelphia will be the center of the nation’s anniversary celebrations, topped off by 16-day Welcome America Festival from June 19 to July 4 that will feature free concerts, fireworks and patriotic events. The city has already started its “52 Weeks of Firsts” program featuring Philadelphia and world-changing firsts all year, including the first hot air balloon ride in the U.S. from center city to Deptford.
Jean Pierre Blanchard launched his balloon from Philadelphia in 1793, crossed the Delaware River, and landed by the Old Clement Oak tree in Deptford. It was the nation’s first manned aviation flight.
Debbie Harding, past president of the Aero Club of Pennsylvania and owner/operator of Air Ventures Hot Balloon Flights, Inc. in Pennsylvania, said Blanchard carried with him a “right of passage” letter from President George Washington – the first letter ever delivered by air mail.
Unfortunately, the historic flight site in Deptford also commemorates the oak tree that was more than 400 years old when it was destroyed by a storm five years ago. The area is now overgrown with weeds and inaccessible to the public by a 6-foot high fence behind the Walmart on Clements Bridge Road.
A person would have to sneak through a hole in the fence and walk 50 yards in heavy brush to find it. But Mayor Paul Medany said he’s been in communication with Walmart to find ways of sprucing the site. The township’s municipal building features a replica of the historic balloon basket Blanchard stood in as he flew over the Delaware River.
For more information on local events for the nation’s birthday, visit southjersey.com.
State, county and local officials with ceremonial shovels begin the renovations at the American Revolution Museum of Southern New Jersey in Camden last summer and will return on Saturday, June 20, for the grand opening at the former Benjamin Cooper Tavern in Camden City.
