2020 has been a remarkable year, nothing that any of us had envisioned. With most historic sites closed and events cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Crossroads of the American Revolution’s staff has been working remotely, focused on our mission to help people connect to the experiences of Revolutionary-era New Jerseyans.
We hope we can gain your support as we work toward a great opportunity to multiply the state’s heritage travel potential. In 2026, the United States will mark its 250th anniversary – an ideal opportunity for New Jersey to shine. As the administrators of the nation’s only National Heritage Area to focus exclusively on the impact of the war for independence, Crossroads is proud to have been selected as the New Jersey Historical Commission’s partner to plan Revolution NJ, the state’s official commemoration.
We’ve put the foundation in place this year with the completion of the first visitor readiness assessment of 150 New Jersey Revolutionary-era historic sites. The quest to prepare historic places and prominently position the state for the 250th will be more important than ever, post-COVID. Visitors will seek out messages of hope and resilience, making our Revolutionary heritage a dynamic spark for building heritage tourism, creating jobs and supporting the work of volunteers and staff at our historic sites.
Meanwhile, Crossroads continues to help historic sites and heritage organizations across the state share their stories as part of New Jersey’s larger Revolutionary tapestry. The work we’re doing with your continued support will help today, during the 250th commemoration and for years beyond.
We hope you will join us as we build on the incredible potential of New Jersey’s Revolutionary legacy. Your contribution will help us to continue our successful programming and build on the plans we’ve made during the pandemic, including:
- Developing innovative plans for trail apps that will allow visitors to explore New Jersey’s Revolutionary sites from their cars or on foot.
- Refining a heritage education program to train urban New Jersey residents as guides to share their cities’ Revolutionary era stories.
- Offering in-person and virtual training for historic site staff and volunteers to prepare them to share stories of the American Revolution that appeal to our increasingly diverse visitor base.
- Adding new Revolutionary Neighbors profiles for virtual learning and classroom instruction to reflect a broad range of average New Jerseyans and the difficult choices they faced during the war.
Your financial support is an essential part of our efforts to re-enforce New Jersey’s stature as the Crossroads of the American Revolution. Please consider making an end-of-year, tax-deductible contribution by visiting our donation page.
Thank you for supporting Crossroads of the American Revolution!
