The Joshua Huddy Era: Documents of the American Revolution

Start celebrating the 250th anniversary of America during this Zoom presentation.

Near the end of the Revolutionary War, Captain Joshua Huddy of the New Jersey Militia was captured while defending the salt works at Toms River. On April 17, 1782, Huddy was lynched on a beach in Highlands, Monmouth County, by British Loyalists at the direction of ex-New Jersey Governor William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, in retaliation for the extrajudicial executions of Loyalists by the Committee on Retaliation, a Patriot vigilante organization.

For the Patriots, Huddy’s death was an outrage, especially since it came after the war was, except for the peace treaty, essentially over. General George Washington came close to having a captured British officer hanged in response and the affair almost scuttled the peace negotiations.

This lecture reviews the key events in Huddy’s life and its aftermath through primary source documents.

Registration is required online or by calling 732-634-4450.

This is sponsored by the Woodbridge Public Library, but will be held virtually.