Bill Text: NJ AR135 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Supports preserving Princeton Battlefield and honors those who fought and died there.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-2)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-27 - Filed with Secretary of State [AR135 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-AR135-Amended.html
ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 135
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JANUARY 11, 2011
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Mercer)
Assemblywoman BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN
District 15 (Mercer)
Assemblyman MICHAEL PATRICK CARROLL
District 25 (Morris)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman McHose, Assemblymen Coughlin and DeAngelo
SYNOPSIS
Supports preserving Princeton Battlefield and honors those who fought and died there.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Tourism and the Arts Committee on June 13, 2011, with amendments.
An Assembly Resolution in support of preserving the Princeton Battlefield and honoring those who fought and died there.
Whereas, New Jersey played a critical role in the Revolutionary War, as more engagements were fought in New Jersey than in any other state; and
Whereas, At the battles of Trenton and Princeton, which are among the most important in American history, George Washington won his first victories over the British and gave new life to the nascent American Republic's fight for independence; and
Whereas, On the night of December 25, 1776, Washington and his commanders crossed the ice-choked Delaware River with 2,400 troops, 18 cannon, and between 50 and 75 horses in the midst of sleet, freezing rain, and flood-like conditions; and
Whereas, In the early morning on December 26, Washington and his troops marched to Trenton, attacked the garrison there, and captured approximately 900 Hessian soldiers; and
Whereas, Washington's victory at Princeton, his first against British regulars, was achieved by maneuvering his army around the flank of a superior British force on an all-night march and attacking the rear of the British army at Princeton; and
Whereas, In the Battle of Princeton, his second pitched battle in two days, Washington rallied two routed brigades, faced a British musket volley at point blank range, and led his men in a counterattack that broke the British line; and
Whereas, Many of the battlefields where the Revolution was fought in New Jersey have been lost to development; with them we lose the memory of what our forefathers wrought on the fields of battle in New Jersey; and
Whereas, The area at the very heart of the Princeton Battlefield, where Washington launched his counterattack and struck the British line, is threatened by further development; and
Whereas, As a result, the Princeton Battlefield has been designated by the National Park Service as a Level 1 priority battlefield site in recognition of the imminent threat posed to the Battlefield and the importance of the battle in American history; and
Whereas, The Princeton Battlefield has been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior and studies suggest the adjoining land, which includes a proposed development site, contains important clues that could assist in understanding the battle fought at Princeton; and
Whereas, The Princeton Battlefield was named by Preservation New Jersey as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2009 due to the ongoing threat of a housing development; and
Whereas, The largely unaltered natural landscape where the counterattack took place is critical to understanding the progression of the battle; and
Whereas, The Princeton Battlefield could and should be a heritage tourism center and gateway, where people from all over the nation can learn the inspiring story of this battle that turned the tide of the American Revolution and the important role New Jersey played in winning our nation's independence; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In recognition of the importance of the Princeton Battlefield to the history of this nation, its importance to the people of the State of New Jersey, the significant role New Jersey played in America's victory in the Revolutionary War, and to honor those who fought and died there, the General Assembly of New Jersey hereby calls upon all political entities in the State and owners of the lands upon which the battle was fought to do all in their power to preserve the hallowed ground of the Battlefield and to stop further loss of our historic heritage.
12. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested to by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the Governor, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Mayor of Princeton Borough, the Mayor of Princeton Township, and the Princeton Battlefield Society.1
