New Jersey Frontier Guard
Encyclopedia
The Frontier Guard was a military unit organized by New Jersey's colonial legislature in 1755 to man a series of frontier fortifications along the Delaware River
in northwestern New Jersey
.
(1756-1763), the population of New Jersey largely was centered around Atlantic seaports in Elizabethtown
(present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey), Newark
and Perth Amboy
and the colonial legislature authorized the construction of blockhouse forts in the area of present-day Sussex
and Warren Counties
, New Jersey
to serve as a first line of defense in the event of an incursion by the French
army and the forces of French-allied native tribes. The New Jersey Frontier Guard was organized to man those forts as the state militia fought elsewhere within the colonies of Virginia
, Pennsylvania
and New York
. Supplies were provided to the Frontier Guard from Elizabethtown, transported by way of the Military Road
.
The area where these blockhouse forts were constructed was composed of sparsely-populated frontier settlements that during the years before the American Revolutionary War
were subjected to frequent raids and attacks by Native American warriors.
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in northwestern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
History
At the time of the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(1756-1763), the population of New Jersey largely was centered around Atlantic seaports in Elizabethtown
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
(present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey), Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
and the colonial legislature authorized the construction of blockhouse forts in the area of present-day Sussex
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
and Warren Counties
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to serve as a first line of defense in the event of an incursion by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
army and the forces of French-allied native tribes. The New Jersey Frontier Guard was organized to man those forts as the state militia fought elsewhere within the colonies of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Supplies were provided to the Frontier Guard from Elizabethtown, transported by way of the Military Road
Military Road (New Jersey)
The Military Road was a roadway built in the present-day U.S. state of New Jersey during the French and Indian War connecting Elizabethtown with a string of fortifications along the Delaware River in modern Sussex and Warren Counties in northwestern New Jersey...
.
The area where these blockhouse forts were constructed was composed of sparsely-populated frontier settlements that during the years before the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
were subjected to frequent raids and attacks by Native American warriors.
See also
- French and Indian WarFrench and Indian WarThe French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
- History of New JerseyHistory of New JerseyThe history of New Jersey began at the end of the Younger Dryas climate, about 10 millennia ago. Native Americans moved into New Jersey soon after the reversal of the Younger Dryas, which had made the area uninhabitable and, during the preceding ice age, unreachable.European contact began with the...
- Jersey Blues
- Military Road (New Jersey)Military Road (New Jersey)The Military Road was a roadway built in the present-day U.S. state of New Jersey during the French and Indian War connecting Elizabethtown with a string of fortifications along the Delaware River in modern Sussex and Warren Counties in northwestern New Jersey...
- Old Mine RoadOld Mine RoadOld Mine Road is a road in New Jersey and New York said to be one of the oldest continuously-used roads in the United States of America. At a length of 104 miles, it stretches from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to the vicinity of Kingston, New York.Among the theories regarding the...
External links
- New Jersey Frontier Guard — a reenactment and demonstration group dedicated to preserving New Jersey's French and Indian War history.