Pictured (left to right); Elementary School faculty member Aisha Williams and director of family & community engagement Erlinda Zeledon, both of Foundation Academies, pose with some of the creative merch available to exhibit attendees.
Foundation Academies’ Black Student Union, in partnership with the Princeton Battlefield Society, recently unveiled “Men W/O Shoes,” a student-led multimedia exhibition that tells the untold stories of 14 Black Revolutionary War soldiers who fought in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. The installation debuted Feb. 19–21 at the Morven Museum & Garden during Black History Month and ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
Oliver Cromwell
Historians estimate Black soldiers comprised between 5% and 20% of the Continental Army, with many marching barefoot and some fighting in place of their enslavers. The Battles of Trenton and Princeton were pivotal in gaining our nation’s freedom and would not have been won without the bravery of these soldiers who largely remained unnamed in traditional historical narratives – until now.
Issac Walker
Thirty Black high school scholars in grades 9–12 conducted original archival research to reconstruct the lives of the 14 men featured in the exhibition. Over the course of a year, students produced AI-generated monologues, created a behind-the-scenes documentary film, and collaborated with Philadelphia visual artist Shaheed Rucker to develop portraits inspired by JET magazine covers, imagining what the soldiers may have looked like.
Forgotten heroes no more:
Charles Ailstock: A free Black soldier who enlisted at about age 16 and fought at Trenton, Princeton, Harlem Heights and Brandywine.
Charles Ailstock
James Ailstock: Served alongside his brother Charles in major Revolutionary War campaigns. As a member of a free Black family, his enlistment reflected both patriotism and a claim to belonging to a new nation.
Edward “Ned” Bradley: Known through fellow soldier Peter Jennings’s pension testimony as serving during the Ten Crucial Days campaign. The lack of records after the war reflects how many Black patriots were erased from official history.
Edward Hopps
Phillip James: Identified in pension testimony as serving during the Trenton-Princeton campaign. His participation highlights the collective effort of Black soldiers in early American victories.
Robert “Prince” Green: Born enslaved, he enlisted in a regiment that promised freedom to Black soldiers. He fought in major campaigns including Red Bank and Monmouth, and later lived as a free man and musician.
Primus Hall: After the war, he became a civic leader and advocate for Black education and veteran recognition. His life shows how military service translated into community leadership.
Job Lathrop: An enslaved soldier who enlisted in 1776 and was later emancipated. His life represents the pursuit of freedom through military service.
Edward Hopps: A soldier from Rhode Island who fought bravely in the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. Hopps stood on the front lines in the fight for independence.
Isaac Walker: One of the earliest African American Marines, serving during the New Jersey campaigns. His participation demonstrates Black contributions to the founding of the Marine Corps.
Peter Jennings: Serving almost six years in the Continental Army, he participated in major battles including Trenton and Brandywine. He later applied for a pension, providing valuable testimony about Black soldiers’ roles in the war.
Cato Smith: Captured in Africa and enslaved, he enlisted and fought in several campaigns, including Princeton. He died in military service at a young age, illustrating the sacrifices of African-born soldiers.
Francis: Born a free Black man, he served in multiple campaigns, including Trenton and later militia tours in New Jersey. After the war, he raised a family and received a pension recognizing his contributions.
Oliver Cromwell: Served six years in major battles, including Yorktown, and received a Badge of Merit signed by George Washington. After the war, he became a landowner and community leader.
Samuel Sutphin: An enslaved man who served multiple tours and fought in key engagements across New Jersey. After being denied freedom, he later secured recognition through a state pension.
Students worked under the guidance of faculty advisors Casey Scott and Earl Wallace, and served as the project’s primary researchers and authors.
“There is no American history without Black history,” Scott said. “Our students reclaimed these soldiers’ stories and, in doing so, reclaimed their own place in American history.”
The opening weekend drew students, educators, families and local historians. Dawn Lathrop Goode, a descendant of Revolutionary War soldier Job Lathrop and the only identified family member of the 14 soldiers to date, could not attend but thanked students in a video message for restoring her ancestor’s story.
“What these students have done is such a gift to my family, bringing my ancestor’s story to life in a way he never could have imagined 250 years ago,” Lathrop said. “As a descendant of a Black Revolutionary War soldier, I’m proud my family was here before this was the United States, and I hope every student remembers to write their own story and preserve the stories of those who came before them.”
The Princeton Battlefield Society will add the research to its digital encyclopedia of American Revolution history in New Jersey and incorporate it into its Eyewitness to the Revolution program.
Museums, schools and cultural organizations interested in hosting the exhibit or screening the documentary may contact Casey Scott at [email protected].
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