Morristown: Where America Survived  Goes National
NJN Locally Produced Documentary Picked Up for National Release in March 2010 by PBS
Special Encore Broadcast on NJN on Thursday, January 7 at 8:30 pm
On NJN2 throughout week of January 4th at 9:00 pm

Statewide:  NJN’s newest documentary Morristown: Where America Survived  has the unique honor of being chosen by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) for distribution to its member stations throughout the country. PBS stations nationwide will start airing the show on March 1st. NJN will present a special encore broadcast on Thursday, January 7 at 8:30 pm and on NJN2 throughout the week of January 4th at 9:00 pm.  Morristown joins other NJN documentaries produced in New Jersey chronicling issues on our health, the environment and historical preservation that have been chosen for broadcast on public television stations across the country.

Morristown: Where America Survived revisits that “Hard Winter” of 1780 when the entire eastern seaboard was hit by major snowfalls and unrelenting freezing temperatures. In 1779, George Washington brought over ten thousand troops to Morristown, New Jersey, where they struggled to survive the worst winter in recorded history, with the American Revolution hanging in the balance.  The Continental Army cleared two thousand acres of trees to build their huts in a place called Jockey Hollow, making it the fifth largest “city” in population at the time.  There, soldiers suffered through a long series of snow storms that sealed them off from supplies of food and clothing. Washington’s army was falling apart, as the British waited in New York to make their move.  When the British attacked in the spring, these same soldiers, who had starved through the winter, rallied with local militia to turn the British back. 

The NJN documentary follows the soldiers' experiences through the winter and into the springtime clashes with the British, a story that has never received the attention it deserves. Primary quotes make up the story, from the letters of George Washington to the recollections of Joseph Plumb Martin, who left one of the only detailed accounts of the life of a young private at Morristown.  The film is narrated by award-winning actor Edward Herrmann. Morristown was produced by NJN’s Emmy award winning producer Bob Szuter.   Major funding for the production was provided by S. Dillard and Adrienne Kirby.

The documentary will also be on display at the NJ State House the week of February 8, 2010, giving visitors, State employees and public servants a unique perspective of New Jersey’s rich historical and political legacy.

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States and a prominent provider of programming to U.S. public television stations.

Visit njn.net for more information on the program and the historical background on Morristown and the American Revolution.  Morristown: Where America Survived is available for purchase through NJN Video at njn.net or by calling (609) 777-5093. 

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