New Jersey at the Crossroads of the American Revolution – Myths & Realities New Jersey saw more battles than any other state in the American Revolution, including Washington’s daring Delaware River crossing and the pivotal Battle of Trenton. While legendary, these events are often wrapped in myth. In this course, we’ll uncover the true, more complex story—how the state was divided between Patriots, Loyalists, and those who tried to stay neutral, and how political, social, and cultural fault lines shaped events. Discover New Jersey’s Revolution beyond the legend—richer, grittier, and far more human.

Dive into a thrilling true story from the Revolutionary War that’s full of suspense, daring, and international drama! Meet Joshua Huddy, Patriot captain, whose capture by Colonel Tye, a runaway slave, led to Tye’s death when Huddy was rescued by militiamen. Huddy’s startling extralegal hanging by Loyalists two years later sparked outrage that echoed from the battlefields straight to the royal courts of Europe. Join Rick Geffken for this captivating tale of courage, revenge, and diplomacy—a history lesson with all the twists and turns of a great adventure!

We invite you to join us for a very unique presentation by the Office of Planning & Preservation called Cemetery Story Map. This “Celebrated Past” Story Map features information on cemetery designers, stone carvers as well as a master list of obituaries that may assist those researching genealogy and family history. We will look at the history of Morris County’s cemeteries from the rural burial grounds to the grand American Romantic era of cemetery designs. Learn about burial customs (Location, Location, Location!) and how cemeteries lend themselves to puns, quips, one-liners; our need to laugh at the “unknown“, and the “modern” light-hearted approach to our legacy.

From eradicating poverty to tackling climate change, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent one of the most wide-ranging efforts to build a fairer, more sustainable world. But are these goals realistic—or just rhetoric? In this final lecture, we’ll examine the global progress on the SDGs, the barriers to change, and whether international cooperation can deliver real results in the face of rising inequality, nationalism, and environmental breakdown.