Results for Part I of Men Without Shoes Project to be Released on February 19^th as part of Black History Month

Princeton Day School to Report Part II in June

“It’s a double win: we got kids interested in history and we put a spotlight on forgotten heroes.”

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 250^th anniversary of the birth of the state of New Jersey, the United States, and the Battle of Princeton, fought January 3, 1777. PBS partnered with FA and Princeton Day School (PDS) on the project, with FA researching the Black soldiers who fought at Princeton and PDS researching the other common foot soldiers. The name of the project comes from the contemporaneous reports from the Continental Army of seeing bloodstains in the snow from soldiers marching without functioning shoes.

FA will debut its findings at a two-day exhibit at Morven Museum and Gardens Feb. 19-21. PDS will report on Part II of the Project on the 250^th Anniversary of Richard Henry Lee’s motion for independence in the Continental Congress in June.

“We started the project because the enlisted men who fought at Princeton have been ignored and forgotten by history and historians, who focus on the leaders, the generals,” said PBS President Ben Strong. “But there were far, far more common foot soldiers fighting on January 3, 1777 than officers. The research being done by the kids at FA and PDS will help shine a light on these forgotten heroes.”

“This is a double win,” said Mark Herr, PBS Trustee and creator of the program, “We got kids interested in history and we put a spotlight on forgotten heroes. When was the last time a teenager cared about anything that happened beyond last month? We get to know more and we may have sparked the interest of the next great historian.”

“FA’s research is critically helpful,” said Strong, “because among the forgotten common soldiers, even more forgotten were the Blacks soldiers, free men and slaves, who fought at Princeton. All of these men fought for our independence and all should be remembered and honored. We are excited by the FA’s work.”

“Our scholars' exploration of Black soldiers who fought in the Battle of Princeton is more than a history lesson – it’s a powerful journey of discovery and identity,” said Sheria McRae, CEO of Foundation Academies. “Our scholars honor the legacy of these brave men by ensuring their stories are told for the countless students who will study what they documented.”

“Our students are working with original documents and asking questions historians actually wrestle with. They’re uncovering stories that haven’t been told and deserve to be. Sharing that work with a real audience matters for how students understand history and for honoring soldiers whose contributions were overlooked. We’re grateful to the PBS for helping bring this work into the public record,” Katie O'Shaughnessey, PDS Head of Upper School.

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 Foundation Academies

Foundation Academies is a free, public charter school educating more than 1,100 scholars K-12 in Trenton, NJ. FA school performance ranks in the 85^th percentile among all New Jersey public schools and our scholars recently scored in the top 1% for academic growth. Our graduation rate exceeds the statewide average and our college acceptance rate is 100%. Learn more at www.foundationacademies.org

About Princeton Day School

Princeton Day School brings together a diverse Pre-K through Grade 12 community where intellectual vitality, strength of character, and joy in discovery flourish. To learn more, visit pds.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 in which the American army defeated the British in a battle that saved the independence of the nation, on Janaury 3, 1777.

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