Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, NY

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site commemorates the life of Theodore Roosevelt—writer, statesman, officer, adventurer, and the 26th President of the United States. It was here, at a mansion on New York’s Long Island, that “Teddy” lived much of his life, from 1885 until his death in 1919. Today, the National Park Service offers tours of …

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Fire Island Lighthouse (Fire Island National Seashore, NY)

Stretching for approximately 31 miles, Fire Island shields part of New York’s Long Island from the fierce waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Now managed by Fire Island National Seashore, the Fire Island Lighthouse—situated near the west end of the barrier isle—is a popular destination for New Yorkers seeking respite from the city. The original lighthouse, …

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Morristown National Historical Park, NJ

- Revolutionary War Series - Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the bravery and tenacity of George Washington’s Continental Army as it endured two brutal winters in this New Jersey encampment in 1777 and 1779. Out of these bleak winters emerged a cohesive fighting force, one that would go on to secure American Independence with victory …

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Yellow Trail (Morristown National Historical Park, NJ)

- Revolutionary War Series - Morristown National Historic Park’s Jockey Hollow—once a sprawling winter camp for George Washington’s Continental Army in 1777 and 1779—is now a popular hiking destination for local New Jersey residents. Shielded from British forces by the Watchung Mountains, Jockey Hollow was a strategic location where Washington could train and prepare his …

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Henry Hill Loop Trail (Manassas National Battlefield Park, VA)

- Civil War Series - The climax of the First Battle of Manassas took place on Henry Hill, a grassy pasture west of Bull Run and north of Manassas Junction, Virginia—the object of Union attack. On the afternoon of July 21, 1861, after a Federal victory in the morning at nearby Matthews Hill, fierce Confederate …

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Matthews Hill Loop Trail (Manassas National Battlefield Park, VA)

- Civil War Series - The Civil War’s First Battle of Manassas comprised two major engagements: a Union victory at Matthews Hill in the morning, and a Union defeat at Henry Hill in the afternoon. With Gen. Irvin McDowell’s Federal forces crossing Bull Run at Sudley Ford, Confederate Col. Nathan “Shanks” Evans shifted 900 troops …

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Stone Bridge Loop Trail (Manassas National Battlefield Park, VA)

- Civil War Series - The Stone Bridge at Virginia’s Manassas National Battlefield Park was the site of the first action of the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861. Destroyed during the war, the bridge has been reconstructed, just off today’s Warrenton Turnpike (Lee Highway), and marks the start of a short circuit …

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Sudley Loop Trail (Manassas National Battlefield Park, VA)

- Civil War Series - On July 19, 1861—two days before the Civil War’s First Battle of Manassas—Union General Irwin McDowell dispatched John G. Barnard, his chief engineer, to identify a suitable place for thousands of Federal soldiers, horses, and artillery to cross Bull Run Creek undetected. Barnard found such a crossing at Sudley Ford, …

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Fort Sumter (Fort Sumter National Monument, SC)

- Civil War Series - On April 12, 1861—after decades of fierce debate over slavery—South Carolina Confederates kicked off the Civil War with a barrage of fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Surrounded, outgunned, and short on supplies, Major Robert Anderson was forced to cede the fort the next day—despite not losing a …

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Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument, SC)

- Revolutionary War Series - - Civil War Series - Fort Moultrie—built to defend South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor—has played an important role in several of America’s conflicts. First, under the leadership of Revolutionary Colonel William Moultrie, it fought off a British assault in 1776, and decades later, helped deter the British threat again during the …

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