The award–winning author of Brandywine examines a pivotal but overlooked battle of the American Revolution’s Philadelphia Campaign. Today, Germantown is a busy Philadelphia neighborhood. On October 4, 1777, it was a small village on the outskirts of the colonial capital—and the site of one of the American Revolution’s largest battles. Now Michael C. Harris sheds new light on this important action with a captivating historical study. After defeating Washington’s rebel army in the Battle of Brandywine, General Sir William Howe took Philadelphia. But Washington soon returned, launching a surprise attack on the British garrison at Germantown. The recapture of the colonial capital seemed within Washington’s grasp until poor decisions by the American high command led to a clear British victory. With original archival research and a deep knowledge of the terrain, Harris merges the strategic, political, and tactical history of this complex operation into a single compelling account. Complete with original maps, illustrations, and modern photos, and told largely through the words of those who fought there, Germantown is a major contribution to American Revolutionary studies.

2020 Philip S. Klein Book Prize Winner, Pennsylvania Historical Association Known as America’s most historic neighborhood, the Germantown section of Philadelphia (established in 1683) has distinguished itself by using public history initiatives to forge community. Progressive programs about ethnic history, postwar urban planning, and civil rights have helped make historic preservation and public history meaningful. The Battles of Germantown considers what these efforts can tell us about public history’s practice and purpose in the United States. Author David Young, a neighborhood resident who worked at Germantown historic sites for decades, uses his practitioner’s perspective to give examples of what he calls “effective public history.” The Battles of Germantown shows how the region celebrated “Negro Achievement Week” in 1928 and, for example, how social history research proved that the neighborhood’s Johnson House was a station on the Underground Railroad. These encounters have useful implications for addressing questions of race, history, and memory, as well as issues of urban planning and economic revitalization. Germantown’s historic sites use public history and provide leadership to motivate residents in an area challenged by job loss, population change, and institutional inertia. The Battles of Germantown illustrates how understanding and engaging with the past can benefit communities today.

Germantown is a unique community located 40 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. It has a single Catholic church as its center and a rich German heritage. This is a pictorial history of the settlement that grew out of a desire for worship. The first German settlers came to Shoal Creek in 1833 and worshipped in a small house that contained neither benches nor chairs and had a split oak bench supported by four props that served as the communion rail. In 1837, the German homesteaders bought several tracts of land and reserved the ground in the center as church property. Preparations for the present stone building took two years, and it was completed in 1854. At that time, St. Boniface Catholic Church was the largest church in the state of Illinois. It is still referred to as the mother church of Clinton County.

Germantown, built on the high ridges of a former Indian Trail, has much grace and grandeur to her credit. Beautiful countryside, magnificent old trees, and prestigious homes bordered by long white fences and adorned by pastures of fancy horses are scattered about the area. Century-old churches, parks close to every neighborhood, and excellent schools are also woven into the fabric of this historic town. Images of America: Germantown highlights the natural beauty, the culture, and the charm of a most treasured place in the Volunteer State. Friendly people welcome neighbors and visitors alike with warm hospitality in Germantown. Great pains have been taken by the city planners in preserving the small-town atmosphere, while still being quite mindful of the future progress of a growing city. Come and discover, through 200 intriguing old photographs, the treasures of the community's history spanning 150 years. Included in this volume are vintage images of local families, business, schools, and churches.

Called the most historic street in America, Germantown Avenue follows the path of an ancient Lenni Lenape trail. This historic route links Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill, the three neighborhoods of the city of Philadelphia that make up the old German Township. From the first protest against slavery in North America, to the battle of Germantown in 1777, to the service of its two military hospitals during the Civil War, Germantown has been the site of some of history's most significant events. Many rarely seen images from the archives of the Germantown Historical Society are in Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill. Covering the period from Colonial times to the twentieth century, these images tell in sharp detail the story of the region founded by German-speaking settlers in 1683. From these beginnings, Germantown evolved into a prosperous industrial center by the mid nineteenth century. It also became home to wealthy businessmen who built elaborate Victorian villas and gardens. Germantown was home to one of the nation's first commuter railroads and to many factories and textile mills. Immigrants from all parts of Europe were attracted to Germantown. These faces, events, and places are what make Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill an indispensable keepsake.

With grit and gumption, the residents of Germantown propelled their community from a sleepy backwater to a thriving urban neighborhood. Through charming first-person accounts and fascinating narratives culled from sixty years of the Germantown Crier, readers may catch a glimpse of the feisty Germantowners who proudly honor their past without ceasing to move forward. Meet cantankerous Ann Shermer, a nineteenth-century Bethlehem Pike tollkeeper who enforced the fare with the help of her trusty flintlock pistol, and the towns enforcer of morality, civilizer Samuel Harvey. Whether a tale from the storied King of Prussia Inn, which housed greats like George Washington and Gilbert Stuart, or a memory of a childhood encounter with Louisa May Alcott, each vignette in this collection crafts a poignant portrait.