Civil War "Since We Left Old Monmouth..." At the outbreak of the Civil War on April 12th 1861, Monmouth County was an agricultural hub that was home to nearly 39,000 people. The residents held a deeply-felt pride in their ancestors' part in the American Revolution under Washington himself at the Battle of Monmouth, and this translated to a need to carry that torch within themselves as well. The Monmouth Herald and Inquirer beckoned the men of Monmouth: "Men of New Jersey! The hour has again come when your loyalty to freedom and the Union of the Fathers is to be tested. Treason and Rebellion are at your very doors and you are called upon to resist and overwhelm them..." Volunteers flooded the enlistment rolls for what they hoped would be a brief conflict. They were wrong. The war raged on far longer than anyone had guessed. There was tremendous loss of life, felt even more so in the close-knit, rural towns of Monmouth. The Government was running low on funds, and the soldiers were not getting paid regularly. Southern sympathizers (referred to as "sesesh") and anti-war sentiment began stirring discontent at home, and volunteer enlistments began dwindling. The quota that each town was responsible for filling was not being met, and the draft was required to ensure we had enough men to fight. In order to avoid instituting the draft, towns began offering sign-on bonuses in addition to the People & Stories Artifacts Documents BACK

Become a Volunteer Educator! Would you like to be a part of something greater than yourself? Would you like to engage with students eager to learn about their amazing local history? Would you like to give the gift of time and effort to help our education program and youth community grow? If your answer to any of these questions is YES , then we want you to VOLUNTEER WITH US! Apply The generosity and efforts of our valued volunteers are integral to the success of our K-12 education programs. A background in education is preferred, but those with a flair for storytelling or a love of history are encouraged to apply! Prerequisites : Availability during school hours Reliable transportation to locations Ability climb stairs Interview by phone and/or in person Program Locations: Marlpit Hall, Middletown Covenhoven House, Freehold MCHA Museum, Freehold Allen House, Shrewsbury Additional Information : We will work with your schedule and preferences Tours run about 60 minutes for Grades 3-5; 90 minutes for Grades 6-12 Mandatory training will be provided by MCHA staff to ensure our volunteers are confident and effective educators Volunteers will always conduct programs with one or two other staff/volunteers Period clothing is required for programs at Covenhoven House and Allen House, and will be provided from our authentic colonial reproduction wardrobe! MCHA Volunteer Educator Application Please fill out the form completely to be considered for a position Name Email Phone Address Hours of availability Our volunteering shifts vary depending on the location or event. 9am-3 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday How did you hear about us? Language skills About yourself References Submit Thank you! Your application has been sent Volunteer Application Have a question? Please email Yvette Rego, On-Site Education Coordinator at education@monmouthhistory.org

MCHA's Oral Histories FREEHOLD Joe Reilly and Bill Starsinic Bruce Springsteen's teachers give a glimpse into a young Bruce in high school John Duncan Reminisces about the Freehold Military Academy Michael and Patsy Federici Two generations of Federici's restaurant discuss life and business in Freehold The Hyman Brothers A trio of brothers reminisce about Court Street School and growing up in Freehold Click here to see video interview The Gibsons of Freehold Hear memories of Freehold from the Gibsons, a family with deep roots Edward N. King Mr. King reminisces about growing up in Freehold in the 1940s and 50s, as well as the political and racial tumult of the 1960s. The Kane Brothers Roger and Richard Kane discuss 1950s Freehold and the importance of giving back to the community

World War I The Great War Up until 1939, World War I was referred to as the World War or the Great War. It was like nothing the world had ever seen. While estimates vary, approximately 20 million died and 21 million were wounded; half of these casualties were civilians. In addition to bullets and bombs, famine and disease in war-torn areas took many of these lives. While the war was fought abroad, Americans at home were lucky to be shielded from the violence and horrors of war, but experienced changes as well. Our men went overseas and many lost their lives, creating hardship and heartbreak. Women entered the factories to stand in and contribute what they could to the war effort. German Americans became suspected sympathizers and targets, and all things German were denounced... Documents These documents give an interesting glimpse into the world of the Great War. Learn about a private spy organization 250,000 strong, the horrors of mustard gas, and the 1918 Spanish Flu. Artifacts Very often men would bring home their war paraphernalia to keep as remembrances. Sometimes they collected these items as a hobby. The MCHA houses many interesting WWI artifacts. World War II Fighting on Two Fronts Our men once again went off to fight, this time in both the European and Pacific theaters. Thousands of Monmouth men enlisted; 356 did not return home. All Gave Some... Some Gave All Freehold High School 1941-1945 These young men walked the halls of Freeh old High School as students, and gave their lives in service to their country. MCHA encourages students to create their own Honor Roll projects for the WWII KIA who once attended their schools. MC Military Meet the brave Monmouth County men and women who served their country during WWII. If there is someone with an inspiring story you would like to see featured here, please let us know and we would be honored to included them. Home Front The war was fought at home as well. Rationing, Victory Gardens, women working outside the home, donations, and buying war bonds were some of ways civilians contributed to the war effort. Analyze these primary sources to get a sense of what certain aspects of the war were like. Rationing Rationing was an integral part of the war effort. Food, energy, tires, automobiles, gas and even shoes were rationed. Thinking twice about using hot water was part of everyday life during WWII. Save Waste Fats for Explosives Enlist in a Proud Profession! Raised Em' Myself A Careless Word...Another Cross Doing All You Can, Brother? Is Your Trip Necessary? You Can Lick Runaway Prices He's SURE to Get V-Mail Parody - Last Will of Adolf Hitler American Heroes of WWII booklet War Album of Victory Battles Propaganda The strategy of war has always included a psychological component. War posters and other forms of propaganda express the messages the Office of War Information wished the public to receive. Artifacts These WWII artifacts were donated to MCHA by Monmouth county residents. They offer a snapshot of types of things that our residents were familiar with during this time. Know These Planes Civil Defense Preparedness Card Air Raid Protection Regulations To All Volunteers of the Aircraft Warning Service Air Raid Suggestions to All Members of Middletown Township Civilian Defense The U.S. Citizens Defense Corp was made up of all kinds of responsible community members, from housewives to businessmen to the elderly. There was a job for everyone to help keep the homeland safe. BACK

The Elizabeth Van Cleaf Institute A Workshop for Social Studies Educators Grades 6-12 The museum professionals at the Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA) of Freehold, New Jersey have teamed up with local education professionals through the Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission (MOESC) and Monmouth University to teach history through the sharing of specialized skills. From Artifacts to AI: Teaching History in the Age of ChatGPT Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 9 am - 3 pm Monmouth University Rebecca Stafford Student Center Second Floor, Anacon A Parking in Lot 14 (see map below) *Please bring fully charged laptop* Breakfast and lunch served During this free professional development institute, grades 6-12 educators will learn to curate primary sources & design lessons that develop critical thinking with the appropriate use of AI technology. Discover the benefits, pitfalls, and teachable moments in using AI to supplement your classroom! Presentations led by AI Experts, Master Educators, Archeologists, and Historians 6 CEUs earned through Monmouth University Registration for this year is full! Meet The Team Dr. Wendy Morales Assistant Superintendent, Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission Wendy Morales has been an educator for twenty-five years, beginning her career as a 6th grade teacher in the Newark Public School District. She earned a BA from George Washington University, her MA from American Public University, and an Ed.D. from Monmouth University. She currently serves as assistant superintendent of Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission. Dr. Morales earned the Teacher of the Year award in her second year of teaching. After a rewarding five years in Newark, Dr. Morales accepted the role of middle school social studies teacher for the Middletown Township Public Schools where she was fortunate enough to serve as a fellow in the American Institute for History Education’s Teaching American History (TAH) Program. In 2014, she earned Teacher of the Year for the second time. As an early adopter of educational technology, Dr. Morales was accepted into the Google Certified Innovator Program and became a Google Certified Trainer soon after. She has worked in districts all over the country on increasing meaningful technology and personalized learning in the classroom. In 2015, Dr. Morales was accepted into the year-long Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State. Through this program, she developed a passion for global citizenship education and was fortunate enough to work with a partner teacher in the Republic of Georgia. In 2016, Dr. Morales was selected as a TED-Ed Innovative Educator and was named State of New Jersey Exemplary Secondary Educator (2017). Soon after, she was appointed Director of Social Studies and Technology K-12 in the Middletown Township Public Schools. In this role, she supervised over 100 teachers and specialists, co-developed dozens of curricula, and spearheaded important initiatives such as Future Ready Schools New Jersey and the district’s equity and inclusion initiative. Dr. Morales also serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Education at Monmouth University. She regularly presents at regional and national conferences and has had several academic articles published. Dr. Jason Fitzgerald Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Monmouth University A scholar of civic thinking, Dr. Fitzgerald brings his years of social studies teaching experience to explorations of youth civic engagement. Widely published, he collaborates with schools in New York and New Jersey, training teachers to facilitate action civics and inquiry-based social studies practices in their classrooms. Drawing on his experiences as a middle school social studies teacher in the diverse communities of Montgomery County, Maryland, Dr. Fitzgerald’s research explores the ways in which social studies is taught to marginalized populations. His civics-specific research interests have led him to the psychological studies of civic planning as an ill-structured problem category. With this work, he has helped to develop action civics curriculum for Generation Citizen, a national non-profit educational organization, and for young African Leaders as part of President Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellows program, part of the Young African Leaders Initiative; he has been Co-PI on over $500,000 of grant money from the United States Department of State, managed by IREX. Dr. Fitzgerald has used his research on historical and civic ways of thinking used when planning civic action to inform teacher professional development for teachers in local and national contexts. In his local and national professional development work, he compared these heuristics to the popular models of action civics and public policy analysis in order to provide teachers with nuanced ways of teaching civic practice to youth. He has also used this research to undergird civic leadership instruction for over 100 young African leaders, as part of the federal Mandela Washington Fellows program. This not only supported those leaders’ civic development, but some participants took the civic heuristic model home and used it to structure their own non-governmental organization work. Additionally, Dr. Fitzgerald’s work with pre-service social studies teachers has enabled research-practice partnerships that serve to support civics instruction in middle and high school settings. He brought together undergraduate and high school students to collaborate on civic projects, incorporating this research into his social studies methods classes. This integration enabled students to establish their commitment to the NCSS C3 framework in their professional portfolios and in their teaching. Additionally, Dr. Fitzgerald helped synthesize civics education research to inform Ford Foundation funding directions. He has served on the Board of Directors for Generation Citizen and on the board of the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Dr. Rich Veit Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Monmouth University Richard F. Veit, Ph.D., currently serves as provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs for Monmouth University, and is a professor of Anthropology in the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences. An experienced academic leader, he also previously served as interim and associate dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Veit received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Drew University in 1990, his M.A. in historical archaeology from the College of William and Mary in 1991 and his Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. In 2007, he was the recipient of Monmouth University’s Distinguished Teacher Award and in 2012 he received Monmouth University’s Donald Warnecke Award for outstanding university service. In 2019, he received Monmouth’s Eugene Simko Faculty Leadership Award. In addition to his administrative duties, he teaches courses on archaeology and New Jersey history. He is the author of eight scholarly books, two of which, “Digging New Jersey’s Past,” and “New Jersey: A History of the Garden State” (with Maxine Lurie), are listed on the New Jersey State library’s 101 Great New Jersey books list. A volume he co-authored with Maxine Lurie, “Envisioning New Jersey,” received an Award of Merit from American Association for State and Local History. Veit serves on the New Jersey Historical Commission and on the boards of the Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology, Crossroads of the American Revolution, Preservation New Jersey and the Archaeological Society of New Jersey. He is the President of the Society for Historical Archaeology. His work research has been featured on NPR, in Archaeology Magazine and at TEDx Navesink in 2014. Dr. Derek Tranchina Director of Special Projects, Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission Dr. Derek Tranchina has been an educator and administrator for more than 16 years. He currently serves as the Director of Special Projects for the Monmouth-Ocean Educational Services Commission, primarily overseeing New Jersey Virtual School, a GED program at Monmouth County Jail, and a Professional Development series for educators. As a consultant, speaker, and writer, Derek strives to inspire and empower educators through passion and innovative leadership in areas such as navigating Artificial Intelligence, Educational Technology, school and classroom culture, and more. Joe Zemla Senior Curator, Monmouth County Historical Association Joe Zemla is currently the senior curator at the Monmouth County Historical Association (MCHA), which operates a museum, archives, and research library in Freehold, in addition to five historic house museums throughout the county. Along with MCHA Director of Collections Bernadette Rogoff, Joe researched and installed the permanent exhibition Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall, two-time winner of the New Jersey Historical Commission’s annual Giles R. Wright Award. The exhibition presents a reinterpretation of the c. 1756 Marlpit Hall farmhouse in Middletown from the perspective of the enslaved men, women, and children who once resided there, while exploring the often-overlooked topic of slavery in New Jersey. Joe currently serves as a Board member for the New Jersey Association of Museums (NJAM), and as a New Jersey representative for the Northeast Slavery Records Database, hosted by John Jay College. Joe holds a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Rutgers University, and a Master’s in Museum Studies from the Harvard Extension School. Dana Howell Archivist & Director of Education Monmouth County Historical Association Dana Howell is an archivist and the Director of Education at the Monmouth County Historical Association. She holds a BA from Rutgers University in Psychology and History and an MA in American History from Gettysburg College. She served as the MCHA Research Archivist for several years, during which time her focus was also education-driven. She created the Digital Diversity Oral History Project with her colleague, Joe Zemla, to proactively document the history of our underrepresented communities, and began the Remembering Covid-19 project, one of the earliest pandemic documentation projects launched in the country. MCHA's new digital education companion to the award-winning exhibit Beneath the Floorboards: Whispers of the Enslaved at Marlpit Hall makes the fascinating exhibit content accessible for students, and she is currently working on a curriculum-based high school resource to spotlight the rich and amazing history of Monmouth County, bringing the best of the MCHA archives to students across the state. Elizabeth Van Cleaf was born into slavery at Marlpit Hall in 1806. The teaching institute honors her memory.

Contact Us General Inquiries Mail Executive Director Shannon Eadon 732-462-1466 ext. 10 Mail Library and Archives 732-462-1466 ext.16 Mail Mail Director of Collections Bernadette Rogoff Mail Senior Curator Joe Zemla Mail Director of Education Dana Howell Research Archivist Kim Bedetti Mail Volunteer Coordinator Tom Ballard Mail Marketing/Development Associate Sydney Ferna ndez Mail

Colonial Monmouth Cockpit of the Revolution Due to its positioning as the corridor between New York and Philadelphia, Monmouth County has been referred to as the Cockpit of the Revolution. It was a hotbed of revolutionary activity, brimming with unsettling tension and violence between patriots and loyalists who had little tolerance for each other. Spying and secret business abounded, and much was happening behind the scenes to further the cause of American Independence. Colonial NJ 1600s -1763 Revolution! 1764 - 1783 Battle of Monmouth June 28, 1778 The Aftermath The effects of the war were felt for decades after in Monmouth County. Music of the Era Much can be learned from the songs that were being sung amongst the colonists, giving insight into the events and the sentiments surrounding them. Explore some of the popular tunes that would have been familiar to both Patriots and Loyalists alike! Historic Sites There are still plenty of places you can visit if you want to walk in the footsteps of our revolutionary ancestors. You have probably driven by many of them already and not known what happened there two and a half centuries ago! BACK

Links and Resources ~ Historic House Research ~ Historic Sites Inventory Historic Maps of Monmouth County Historic Aerials Photographs House Research at MC Archives Historic House Research Resources MC Genealogy Society Genealogy Society of NJ MC FamilySearch Wiki NJ Vital Records Dept. of Health MC Archives Genealogy Resources NJ State Archives Geni Resources at Rutgers NJ Afro American Historical & Geni MC Historical Commission Monmouth County Library Weekend in Old Monmouth Friends of Monmouth Battlefield Monmouth Battlefield Revolutionary NJ NJ Historical Commission NJ State Library Special Collection Preservation NJ National Register of Historic Places NJ Historic Preservation Office NJ Historic Trust NJ Historical Society ~ Monmouth County History ~ ~ Genealogy Resources ~ ~ New Jersey History ~

MCHA's Digital Diversity Project LGBTQ Joan and Lucy "I am who I am. That's it." Joe D'Angio "Lean into the thing that makes you unique. Also, don't eat Tide pods." Robert and Richard "If you had told me in the 80s that I would be married and have a daughter, I'd think you were just absolutely crazy." Christian Fuscarino “We should be long past telling people to hide who they are or who they love." Amy Quinn "We are no different than the straight community in terms of the relationships we have and the work that we do." Harriet and Luisa "It's not about gay or lesbian rights, it's about civil rights." Robin Kampf "Be an advocate for who you are." Ed Johnson "You make the decision about what's right for you." David Hoffman "It doesn't matter who you love, it's how you love." Graeme Davis "There was whispering here and there, but it didn't matter to me because I had to lead my life." Peggy and Louise "Go with your feelings - be yourself!" Steven Feldman "If you are going to accept, you have to accept all the way around." Resources and Support Youth support helpline and suicide prevention: Education:

Catalog and Research Library Catalog Unable to visit us in person? Let our research staff help. For a small fee, we will conduct “in-house” searches of our record holdings and manuscript collections. A specific search within a small batch of records (e.g. newspaper obituary, church or Bible record, basic research lookup) is a $10 fee, which includes up to five digital or printed records. Broader research questions and genealogy inquiries are $35 per hour (notice will be given upfront for expected research times of more than one hour). These include a thorough search of all relevant sources, collaboration with an experienced genealogist as necessary, photocopies, and postage. Our staff will contact you after you submit your request to give you a quote. PLEASE DO NOT make payment in advance before speaking with a staff member. We may not have the records you are looking for. Refunds will not be issued - any payment submitted without a consultation will be considered a donation. Email us with any inquiries and we'll be happy to help! Use of the physical research library is free of charge, though donations are greatly appreciated. Please help support our mission of bringing Monmouth County history to all!

Museum Collection We invite you to explore MCHA's 35,000+ piece collection! The Monmouth County Historical Association features a unique collection of objects and artifacts that document over three centuries of Monmouth County history and culture, ranging in date from the early 17th century to present day. While a majority of the Association’s 35,000+ piece collection is housed and preserved at an off-site storage facility, objects are routinely used for special exhibitions, education and outreach programs, publication, interpreted spaces in our historic house museums, and research services. Please visit our continually updated eMuseum below to explore our digital collection of notable items: Explore