Swan Historical Foundation, Inc.
  • About
  • SHF Collection
    • Armaments & Equipment >
      • American-made Musket
      • Bayonet recovered from Monmouth Battlefield
      • British Bayonet marked to the Royal Fusiliers
      • British Light Dragoon Saber
      • Broad Arrow-marked Cannonball
      • Daniel Carter’s Powder Horn
      • Dutch Infantry Musket
      • French Musket marked “UNITED STATES”
      • George Taylor's Brace of Pistols
      • German Infantry Hanger
      • Henry Beekman Livingston’s Small Sword
      • Jacob Wagner’s Powder Horn
      • Jager Rifle
      • James Otis’s Powder Horn
      • John I. Roosevelt’s Sword
      • “Liberty or Death” Fusil
      • Musket Tool and Worm
      • Nathaniel Hall's Powder Horn
      • Pennsylvania Rifle
      • Rifle Attributed to George Frederick Fainot
      • Scottish Steel Pistol
    • Broadsides >
      • New Jersey Three Pound Note, 1776
      • Pennsylvania 18 Pence Note, 1777
    • Manuscripts >
      • Asher Brown’s Officer’s Commission, August 1775
      • British Army Officer’s Commission, April 1783
      • Document signed by John Fitch, October 1778
      • Letter written by Frederick Frelinghuysen, April 1779
      • Letter written by George Washington to Richard Humpton, December 1776
      • Letter written by Jonathan Potts, January 1777
      • Letter written by John Pool, September 1778
      • Letter written by Theodore Van Wyck, September 1765
      • Manuscript Accounting from the Surrender at Saratoga, 1777
      • Massachusetts Teamsters Agreement, 1759
      • Pass signed by Brigadier General William Alexander, Lord Stirling
      • Pass signed by Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt, September
      • Pay Roll of the 4th New Jersey Regiment, August 1777
    • Prints & Photographs >
      • Mezzotint of Major General Charles Lee
      • Photograph of Daniel Waldo
      • Portrait of General Daniel Morgan
      • Portrait Miniature of Bishop William White
    • Rare Books >
      • The Constitutions of the Several Independent States of America
      • London Printing of Common Sense
      • Military Instructions for Officers Detached In the Field
    • Silver & Metalwork >
      • Commemorative Button for George Washington’s Inauguration
      • Great Seal of the United States
      • Mourning Brooch owned by Elizabeth Warren
      • “USA” Button
    • Textiles >
      • “American Libertie” Pocketbook
  • SHF Fellowship
  • SHF Garrison Paintings
  • SHF Partners
  • Washington Crossing American Revolution Round Table
  • Our Founder

Swan Historical Foundation, Inc. 

The Swan Historical Foundation's mission to encourage knowledge and appreciation of the American Revolution for the benefit of present and future generations.

WHO WE ARE

The Swan Historical Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and inspiring continuing knowledge and appreciation of the American Revolution for the benefit of present and future generations. 

The foundation is named for an early United States Congressman, Dr. Samuel Swan, of Somerville, New Jersey who wrote the bill authorizing a pension for the widows and orphans of the first American soldiers.

That legislation eventually led to the creation of the Veterans Administration.
His great, great grandson, 
Mr. H. Kels Swan, established Swan Historical Foundation  and served as its president.
​

​The Swan Historical Foundation is proud to be a partner and sponsor of RevolutionNJ and is currently in the planning, design, and developmental process of building the Swan Historical Foundation Collection at the Visitors Center Washington Crossing State Park, Titusville, New Jersey.​

Ten Crucial Days

"... Christmas Day at Night, one hour before the day is the time fixed upon for our Attempt on Trenton. For heaven's sake keep this to yourself, as the discovery of it may prove fatal to us, our numbers..." George Washington
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​The Crossing, December 1776 by Lloyd Garrison

​At the end of 1776, the demoralized American army was on the verge of disintegration, following a series of losses in New York and New Jersey. Many of the men’s enlistments would expire at the end of December. Something needed to be done to revitalize the new nation’s military campaign. General George Washington realized that a bold stroke against his enemies might inspire his fellow countrymen to continue the struggle.
Leading his army on Christmas night across the icy Delaware River from Pennsylvania, Washington launched a brilliant surprise attack against the Hessian garrison at Trenton. The move was a complete success, the Americans eliminating the enemy outpost, capturing nearly all of the enemy soldiers, and retreating back across the Delaware before the British could organize a counter strike. 

At this point, the Americans decided to gamble everything on a second crossing at Trenton on January 2nd to confront the British army directly.
​Finding the enemy too strong to resist, the Americans soon found themselves backed up against the Delaware, once again on the verge of destruction. But the wily Washington still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
Secretly abandoning his camp at night, he slipped his army out of the trap, circling around the British to march against their rear guard at Princeton.
A short, sharp battle ensued, with the Americans driving the enemy from the field before their main force could come to the rescue. Marching rapidly to a new, well-defended camp at Morristown, NJ, Washington and his men were able to threaten the British army’s headquarters in New York City throughout the following winter and spring.
 Seen as one of the turning points of the Revolution, the success of this lightning campaign, from December 25th to January 3rd, did indeed invigorate the army and reignited the fledgling nation’s commitment to American independence.

WHAT DO WE DO

Swan Historical Foundation takes part in a several activities to educate the public about the American Revolution, to include:
  • Care, interpretation & expansion of The Swan Collection​
  • Support to organization with a common interest in the American Revolution
  • ​Participation in historical fairs, meetings, & conferences
  • Talks & lectures delivered to community, historical & patriotic groups
  • Financial support for historical programs in partnership with Washington Crossing State Park of New Jersey 
  • Loan of artifacts to other museums
  • Periodic exhibits at various locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey 
  • Access for third parties to photograph Swan Collection artifacts for books, articles & other publications
  • Annual fellowship with the David Center for the American Revolution at the Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia
     for a graduate student of American history
  • Living history talks & demonstrations
  • Newsletter containing articles about the Revolution and profiles of items in The Swan Collection
  • Sponsorship of the Washington Crossing American Revolution Round Table
  • Tabletop demonstrations of American Revolution battles

Board of Trustees

Trustees

President
Robert H. Swan


Chairman
LTC Richard J. Kane, US Army Retired 

Finance Committee

Vice Chairman
Deborah Hvizdos
Museum, Communications & Nominating Committees 

Secretary-Treasurer
James C. Beachell

Finance, Property & Membership Committees 
Robert N. Fanelli
Museum, Finance, Property & Communications Committees 

Anthony D. Giannascoli, ESQ.
Museum Committee

Michael S. Jesberger
Education Committee

William Traubel
Museum & Property Committees 

Matthew Skic
Museum Committee


Heidi Milano
​Museum & 
Nominating ​Committees

Andrew Plumly
Museum &
Nominating Committees

Jim Swan

​
James Apffel

Robert Wong

Honorary Trustees

Founder
The Late H. Kels Swan
​

​Pricilla Kim Reidinger, ESQ.
George Mason
Herbert M. Patullo
Constance Schuyler, PhD.
Ronald Mann
Phil Schuyler 
become a member

Help Support the Swan Historical Foundation

Swan Historical Scholarship Fund - Support our fellowship awards through the American Philosophical Society
​and the David Library for the American Revolution

Building Fund - Support our exhibits in the new Washington Crossing State Park Visitor's Center, scheduled to open in 2026.
Donate to
The Swan Historical Foundation, Inc.
to help support our:

Scholarship Fund
Building Fund
& 
the General Fund to Support Conservation and Acquisitions
donate
Picture
We need your support in order to reach these goals. Your donations generate the resources we need to grow and innovate, year after year. 
​Gifts of any size make an impact and are deeply appreciated. 
A contribution to the Swan Historical Foundation is a lasting investment and is 100% tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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Swan Historical Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 1575
Princeton, New Jersey 
​08540
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May 7, 2025 
  • About
  • SHF Collection
    • Armaments & Equipment >
      • American-made Musket
      • Bayonet recovered from Monmouth Battlefield
      • British Bayonet marked to the Royal Fusiliers
      • British Light Dragoon Saber
      • Broad Arrow-marked Cannonball
      • Daniel Carter’s Powder Horn
      • Dutch Infantry Musket
      • French Musket marked “UNITED STATES”
      • George Taylor's Brace of Pistols
      • German Infantry Hanger
      • Henry Beekman Livingston’s Small Sword
      • Jacob Wagner’s Powder Horn
      • Jager Rifle
      • James Otis’s Powder Horn
      • John I. Roosevelt’s Sword
      • “Liberty or Death” Fusil
      • Musket Tool and Worm
      • Nathaniel Hall's Powder Horn
      • Pennsylvania Rifle
      • Rifle Attributed to George Frederick Fainot
      • Scottish Steel Pistol
    • Broadsides >
      • New Jersey Three Pound Note, 1776
      • Pennsylvania 18 Pence Note, 1777
    • Manuscripts >
      • Asher Brown’s Officer’s Commission, August 1775
      • British Army Officer’s Commission, April 1783
      • Document signed by John Fitch, October 1778
      • Letter written by Frederick Frelinghuysen, April 1779
      • Letter written by George Washington to Richard Humpton, December 1776
      • Letter written by Jonathan Potts, January 1777
      • Letter written by John Pool, September 1778
      • Letter written by Theodore Van Wyck, September 1765
      • Manuscript Accounting from the Surrender at Saratoga, 1777
      • Massachusetts Teamsters Agreement, 1759
      • Pass signed by Brigadier General William Alexander, Lord Stirling
      • Pass signed by Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt, September
      • Pay Roll of the 4th New Jersey Regiment, August 1777
    • Prints & Photographs >
      • Mezzotint of Major General Charles Lee
      • Photograph of Daniel Waldo
      • Portrait of General Daniel Morgan
      • Portrait Miniature of Bishop William White
    • Rare Books >
      • The Constitutions of the Several Independent States of America
      • London Printing of Common Sense
      • Military Instructions for Officers Detached In the Field
    • Silver & Metalwork >
      • Commemorative Button for George Washington’s Inauguration
      • Great Seal of the United States
      • Mourning Brooch owned by Elizabeth Warren
      • “USA” Button
    • Textiles >
      • “American Libertie” Pocketbook
  • SHF Fellowship
  • SHF Garrison Paintings
  • SHF Partners
  • Washington Crossing American Revolution Round Table
  • Our Founder