Support the American Battlefield Trust
If you want to make a difference—if you want to be a part of saving the remaining battlefields of the Revolutionary War—we urge you to support the American Battlefield Trust.
The American Battlefield Trust is one of our most trusted partners. Formerly known as the Civil War Trust, this organization has saved more battlefield land than any private organization in history with a complicated combination of historical knowledge, political skill, negotiating ability and fundraising talent. For most of its history, the Trust focused exclusively on Civil War battlefields, saving some of the most important battlefield land in the country. To put the Trust’s accomplishment in perspective: the federal government saved seventy-five thousand acres of Civil War battlefield land in more than a century. The Trust has saved nearly fifty thousand acres of Civil War battlefield land in the last fifteen years.
Our organizations share an unshakeable belief that the battlefields where our independence was won are a vital part of our cultural heritage. We have worked together to preserve historic land on the Princeton battlefield and along the Battle Road between Lexington and Concord. We have sponsored archaeological work on the Battle Road as well, so the fighting can be properly understood—original research that added to our understanding of the Revolutionary War.
Support the Preserving America’s Battlefields Act
Let your congressmen know that you support the Preserving America’s Battlefields Act.
The federal battlefield land acquisition grant program is one of the most effective historic preservation programs ever devised. First funded in 1999 to help private organizations preserve Civil War battlefields with matching grants, the program has helped private organizations preserve parts of the battlefields of Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness and Petersburg.
In 2014, Congress expanded the grant program to include battlefields of the Revolutionary War. The problem is that many Revolutionary War battlefields are located in or near major urban centers where real estate values are among the highest in the country. The Preserving America’s Battlefields Act (H.R. 6108), introduced by Congressman Jody Hice of Georgia, funds the program up to $20 million a year.
Support Your Local Revolutionary War Battlefield
Local preservation groups are on the front lines in the struggle to preserve Revolutionary War battlefields. The Princeton Battlefield Association fought for years to save the scene of General Washington’s victorious charge from development. Without its efforts, one of America’s great historic places would have been covered with asphalt and tract housing.
Local support groups associated with Revolutionary War battlefield parks promote understanding and appreciation of our War for Independence and build interest in our great historic places. The Friends of Minute Man National Historical Park, for example, was instrumental in building support for a sophisticated archaeological exploration at Parker’s Revenge, the site of intense fighting on the Battle Road west of Lexington. Similar groups work to maintain historic landscapes, enhance interpretation through the placement of signs and wayside markers, sponsor expert tours and lectures, and advocate preservation and appreciation of other battlefield parks. If you live within driving distance of a Revolutionary War battlefield park, there’s probably a friends group you can join.