-

Princeton University Historian Dr. Michael A. Blaakman to Kick Off the Semiquincentennial Princeton Battlefield Society Cadwalader Lecture

Turner and Cromwell Prize Winner To Speak on “Nursery of Rebellion: Snapshots from Revolutionary Princeton” June 18

PBS Cadwalader Lectures in 2026 Focus on the 250th Anniversary of the Nation’s Birth

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) announced today that Princeton University professor and historian, Dr. Michael A. Blaakman will deliver the first PBS Cadwalader Lecture of 2026 on June 18 at 6 PM at the Nassau Club.

Blaakman, a Cromwell Book Prize Winner, is a historian of revolutionary and early national America, and is the creative force behind the highly acclaimed University exhibition, “Nursery of Rebellion: Princeton and the American Revolution.”

Tickets to the lecture, which begins at 6 PM, are $50.

“We are very pleased to have a scholar of Michael’s magnitude kick off our Cadwalader Lectures in the SemiQuint year,” said PBS President Ben Strong. “We have an exciting roster of lectures for the year planned and Michael’s expertise on Princeton’s role in the Revolution will be a boon to all of us.”

Dr. Blaakman’s first book, Speculation Nation, received the Frederick Jackson Turner Award for best first book in American history from the Organization of American Historians as well as the William Nelson Cromwell Book Prize from the American Society for Legal History, and it was a finalist for the George Washington Prize. His dissertation was awarded the 2017 Manuscript Prize from the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic.

He is a graduate of the College of William & Mary, and he earned a Ph.D. in history from Yale University in 2016.

The Cadwalader Lecture Series, hosted by the Princeton Battlefield Society, offers a compelling forum for the exploration of Revolutionary War history, with a special focus on the Battle of Princeton and the broader fight for American independence. The series brings together distinguished historians, authors, scholars, and preservationists to present original research, fresh perspectives, and in-depth discussions about the people, strategy, and legacy of the American Revolution.

About The Princeton Battlefield Society

The Princeton Battlefield Society is a national historic non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, preservation, and promotion of the Princeton Battlefield as a national treasure of the American Revolutionary War. For more information, including exhibitions and events, visit the Princeton Battlefield Society at https://PBS1777.org/

About the Princeton Battlefield

Princeton Battlefield State Park is a 681-acre state park located in Princeton. The park preserves part of the site of the Battle of Princeton and is located on Mercer Road (Princeton Pike), about 1.5 miles south of Princeton University.

Contacts

Media Contact:

Mark Herr
Mark@MarkHerrCommunications.net
204-517-8957

Industry:

Princeton Battlefield Society

Release Versions
English

Contacts

Media Contact:

Mark Herr
Mark@MarkHerrCommunications.net
204-517-8957

More News From Princeton Battlefield Society

Princeton Battlefield Society and Somerset Patriots Team Up to Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the U.S.A.

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) and the Somerset Patriots (NYY) baseball team announced they have teamed up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation during the Independence Day celebrations. PBS will appear at the July 5th game and provide information about New Jersey’s revolutionary experience as the Patriots don their special Semiquincentennial jerseys in a Double-A baseball game against the Hartford Yard Goats. The Patriots will donate a port...

Princeton Battlefield Society and Foundation Academies of Trenton to Release Findings of First-Ever Research into Black Solders Fighting at the Battle of Princeton

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) announced today that PBS and Foundation Academies of Trenton (FA) will release the results of FA’s groundbreaking research into the Black soldiers who fought in the Battle for Princeton, part of PBS’ “Men Without Shoes” Project to honor the forgotten rank and file of the battle. PBS started the Men Without Shoes Project in 2025 in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the state of New Jersey, the United St...

Princeton Battlefield Society to Usher In the Nation’s 250th Anniversary By Reenacting the Battle of Princeton Next Month

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS) announced today that it would begin New Jersey’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s birthday with its annual Experience the Battle of Princeton that reenacts George Washington’s dramatic victory over the British on January 3, 1777. The reenactment will be held on Sunday, January 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM at Princeton Battlefield State Park on Princeton Pike, just south of historic Princeton. More than 40 units...
Back to Newsroom