When I was a kid, The Wonderful World of Disney was on TV every Sunday night. One movie in particular caught my attention, and made me a lifelong student of history.
That movie was Johnny Tremain, which was released in theaters in 1957. When I first saw it in the early 70’s, the nation was preparing for the Bicentennial celebration in 1976.
The story follows a young man from Boston, and his eventual participation in the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Johnny is inspired by a local group of men known as The Sons of Liberty. In one crucial scene when the older men are debating why they should fight the mighty British Empire, it’s Johnny who exclaims “We fight for our rights…”
Of course, Disney’s audience was children, so it was no surprise when Johnny took his place alongside the older men to be one of the heroes. But to me, it was as if the young had taken their rightful place at the vanguard for the fight for Independence.
It made me feel like young people had a voice. But that was just the movies, right?
The closer that we look at the American Revolution, the better we understand that it was a war fought by relatively young people. Many of the members of The Sons of Liberty were in their 30’s.
The founding fathers were also young. Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old and his compatriot, John Adams, was 39 years old when the first shots of the Revolution were fired. Dr. Samuel Prescott, who brought the news of the advancing British to Concord on April 19, 1775, was still in his 20’s. Indeed, the youngest person to lose his life on that fateful day was Edward Barber, who was only 14 years old.
Our very own Israel Shreve, from Mansfield Township, was only 35 when the Revolution started. Col. Shreve would lead men much younger than himself, including his 13-year-old son John, into New England and eventually Canada in his efforts to secure independence.
When Samuel Griffin was in Mount Holly preparing for the Battle of Petticoat Bridge, a spy described his command this way: “Their number is not above 800 nearly half of them boys…”
Anxiety in the history community has been mostly debated about the involvement of our youth. And to some extent, that anxiousness might be justified. School, sports, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs keep our young people constantly engaged.
Then life after college is pressured with the prospects of seeking meaningful careers and starting families of their own.
But I am not discouraged. Every year, The Rev War Alliance of Burlington County travels to different venues speaking about the American Revolution and how important the county was in its fight for independence. Suffice to say, young minds never disappoint me.
Whether our presence is felt at community efforts like Springfield Township Day, historic sites like White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro, the ever- popular annual Farm Fair in July, or in front of classrooms from the Northern Burlington school district, our outreach in educating young men and women about our nation’s early history remains strong. Therefore, as a torch bearer, I feel confident that our future is in good hands with the next generation of historians and researchers.
Who knows what stories and artifacts on the American Revolution will be revealed under the earth in northern Burlington County. After all, history holds no bounds.
The White Hill Mansion in Fieldsboro, one of many historic sites in Burlington County.,
