From Battlefield to Family Table: 250 Years of Revolutionary Heritage is the story of ten generations of life in America. The relatives featured here represent only a small portion of our family history. Our family includes ancestors born as early as the 1500s whose lives eventually became part of the American story.

Among them were soldiers who fought for independence, patriots who signed public declarations and supported the Revolutionary cause, civic leaders who helped govern their communities, judges who shaped the rule of law, and entrepreneurs who helped establish some of America’s earliest financial institutions.

Cherie Jane Lavin

Cherie Jane Lavin (Sister) As a 5th-grade teacher, one of my favorite topics to study and teach is the Revolutionary War. I am fascinated by the courage, sacrifice, and determination of the men and women who fought for independence. Their stories help bring history to life and remind us that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.

I love teaching the Revolutionary War because it connects students to the founding of our nation. As we learn about key events, important leaders, and the challenges the colonists faced, students begin to understand the principles of freedom, responsibility, and citizenship. The Revolution was more than a series of battles; it was a movement driven by people who believed in their rights and were willing to stand up for those beliefs.

Studying the Revolutionary War helps students understand that history is not just about dates and events. It is about people, choices, and the impact those choices have on future generations. I hope that by sharing my enthusiasm for this important period, my students will develop a lifelong curiosity about history and a greater appreciation for the freedoms they enjoy today.

Josiah Bartlett

Josiah Bartlett (maternal 2nd cousin eight times removed) 21 November 1729 – 19 May 1795, member of New Hampshire colony’s Provincial Assembly, the 2nd person to sign the Declaration of Independence, a physician, member of the Congress in 1776 and 1778, cast the first vote for the proposed Articles of Confederation, elected to the Continental Congress, chief justice of the New Hampshire court of common, chief justice of the state’s supreme court, president (governor) of the state of New Hampshire, and first president of the New Hampshire Medical Society. (Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.)

Fun fact: Martin Sheen starred in the TV series, The West Wing, as the fictional president of the United States, “Josiah Bartlett”, named after the character’s ancestor, Josiah Bartlett, the first governor of New Hampshire. (FamilySearch, n.d.)

Joseph Nickles Sr

Joseph Nickles Sr. (maternal 5th great-grandfather), 23 October 1742 – 12 January 1825, served as a Minuteman in Captain Solomon Pollard’s Company of Minutemen, regiment Colonel Ebenezer Green’s Regiment of Middlesex County Militia in 1775. He answered the Lexington alarm.

They assembled on School Street in Carlisle, Massachusetts. They gathered to march to the North Bridge in Concord, MA, on April 19, 1775. (Freedom’s Way Heritage Association, n.d.). Battles of Lexington and Concord . . . Whereas, the causes leading to these battles, and the battles themselves, marked the beginning of our War for Independence, and furnished a chapter in our history of which every true American may well feel proud.” (National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 1924, p. 23)

The fighting at the North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, became one of the most important turning points of the opening day of the American Revolution, part of the broader Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

This is the start of the American Revolution. This is known as “the shot heard around the world.“The Colonists were willing to risk their lives and property to defend liberty and freedom.

Timeline

• 6:30 PM British patrols are seen on Bay Road leading to Lexington
• 8:00 PM The British patrol passes through Lexington
• 9:00 PM, Lexington Militia scouts observe the British patrol
• 10:00 PM British assemble on Boston Common
• 10:30 Paul Revere crosses the Charles River
• 11:00 PM British Regulars crossed the Charles River
• 12:30 AM Paul Revere and William Dawes are in Lexington
• 1:00 AM The British patrol captures Paul Revere
• 1:30 AM Samuel Prescott alarms Concord. The Lexington Militia awaits the Regulars
• 2:00 AM British troops are on their march to Concord
• 2:30 AM Paul Revere is set free and returns to Lexington
• 3:00 AM The British column marches through Menotomy
• 4:30 AM Word reaches Lexington that the British are approaching. Militia gather on the green.
• 5:00 AM The first shots on Lexington Green. This was the start of the Revolutionary War.

The British Casualties totaled 273; 73 killed, 174 wounded, 26 missing. The Colonial casualties totaled 95; 49 killed, 41 wounded, and 5 missing. (National Park Service, n.d.)

Other Relatives who served as Minute Men

• John Nickles Jr. (maternal 5th great-granduncle), 6 April 1745 – 21 November 1803. He served as a private in Captain Solomon Pollard’s company of Billerica. He was wounded in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. (Carlisle 250, n.d.)
• James Nickles (maternal 5th great-granduncle), 19 June 1739 – 26 October 1804, was a sergeant in Captain Solomon Pollard’s company of militia in Colonel Green’s regiment. He marched on the alarm of April 19th, 1775. (Carlisle 250, n.d.)

Isaac Bronson IV

Isaac Bronson IV (maternal 1st cousin seven times removed), 4 October 1736 – 15 April 1826, farmer of Waterbury, Connecticut, and a member of the state legislature. (American Aristocracy, n.d.) The military service in Waterbury, Connecticut, looked like this. Nearly every able-bodied Connecticut man belonged to the militia. Officers were elected or appointed within their towns and were responsible for:

• Mobilizing men when called by the General Assembly
• Organizing militia companies
• Conducting musters and drills
• Maintaining weapons and equipment
• Responding to alarms and local emergencies

Doctor Isaac Bronson V

Dr. Isaac Bronson V, 10 March 1760 – 19 May 1838 (maternal 1st cousin 7 times removed) was a Senior Surgeon in the 2nd Regiment, Light Dragoons. Achieved the rank of Colonel. Revolutionary War service from 1779-1783. (Connecticut National Guard, n.d.)

Sheldon’s Horse, The Second Continental Light Dragoons

“Sheldon’s Horse, The Second Continental Light Dragoons was commissioned by Congress under the command of Colonel Elisha Sheldon on December 12 of 1776, at the direct recommendation of General George Washington. From March 1777 until January 1781, the regiment consisted of six troops drawn mostly from Connecticut, but with men from Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. In January 1781, following the reorganization as a legion, there were 4 troops of mounted, 2 troops of dismounted, and 2 companies of Light Infantry. The unit never served as a whole.” (The Second Continental Light Dragoons, n.d.)

Elements of the regiment saw combat at:

• Woodbridge
• Brandywine
• Germantown
• Kingston
• Monmouth
• Morrisania
• Newtown of Sullivan’s 1779 campaign in southwestern New York
• The Battles of Saratoga
• Schoharie, at The Battle of The Flockey
• Whitemarsh
• Yorktown (The Second Continental Light Dragoons, n.d.)

Mission

Unlike infantry regiments, the Light Dragoons served as highly mobile cavalry. Their duties included:

• Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering
• Delivering dispatches between commanders
• Escorting General Washington
• Screening troop movements
• Conducting raids behind enemy lines
• Guarding prisoners
• Pursuing Loyalist raiders
• Protecting supply routes

Because of these responsibilities, they became known as “Washington’s Eyes” and “Watchdogs of the Highlands.” (The Second Continental Light Dragoons, n.d.)

Revolutionary War Service

On November 14, 1779, he was appointed Surgeon’s Mate in the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons. He served with honor and distinction throughout the American Revolution, caring for wounded soldiers under difficult and dangerous conditions. After the war, Dr. Bronson became one of America’s most respected physicians, bankers, and patriotic citizens.

Service Highlights

• Appointed Surgeon’s Mate: Nov. 14, 1779
• Treated wounded cavalrymen after engagements.
• Cared for soldiers suffering from disease, the leading cause of death during the war.
• Frequently assumed the duties of the senior regimental surgeon.
• Attended to British Major John André during his imprisonment following the exposure of Benedict Arnold’s treason.
• Later petitioned Congress and Washington for pension benefits on behalf of Revolutionary War surgeons’ mates. (The Second Continental Light Dragoons, n.d.)

Life After the Revolution

After peace was secured in 1783, Bronson sailed on commercial voyages, likely serving as a ship’s physician, including voyages to China. Returning with valuable cargo, he entered the financial world just as the new federal government began stabilizing the nation’s economy.

Working alongside fellow Revolutionary veterans, including Alexander Hamilton, Bronson invested in federal securities and eventually became one of America’s wealthiest financiers. He founded the Bridgeport Bank and helped establish the New York Life Insurance and Trust Company and the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company. By 1828, he ranked among New York City’s wealthiest citizens.

Death and Legacy

Dr. Isaac Bronson died on May 19, 1838, at Greenfield Hill, Connecticut. His legacy extends far beyond medicine. He served his country during its fight for independence, advocated for the rights of fellow veterans, helped shape the nation’s early financial system, and left descendants who continue to honor his Revolutionary service nearly 250 years later. (The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut, n.d.)

Father and Son Duo Serve Side-By-Side

Georg Jurgen Salzmann 22 December 1722 – 9 August 1778 (6th paternal Great-Grandfather) and George or Jurg en Salzmann (5th paternal Great-Granduncle) served in the Revolutionary War Tryon County Militia Rangers with officers Captain Christian Getman; Lieutenants, James Billington, Jacob Sammans.

Georg Jurgen Salzmann and George en Salzmann lived in Palatine, Montgomery, New York, Colony. This is the colony his father, Johann Peter Wagner, settled when arriving in the Colonies with the Palatine Emigration from Germany. (Johann Peter Wagner, n.d.). This valley was key in the Revolutionary War. The location was the primary geographic route connecting the Hudson Valley with the Great Lakes, allowing the flow of troops, food, and fur trade. (National Park Service, 2025).

Revolutionary War Service

“When England’s Parliament said the Americans were cowards and wouldn’t fight. As one settler said, ‘Our fathers and mothers remember their sufferings in the old country, kept ragged and hungry and wretched… all that some baron might have gilding on his carriage and that the elector might enjoy himself in his palace. They were beaten, hanged, robbed of their daughters, worked to death, frozen by the cold in their nakedness, drafted off into the armies to be sold to any prince who could pay for their blood and broken bones. ‘” They were going to protect their land and home from the aristocracy.   

In August of 1777, “800 British and more than 1,000 Native Americans arrived at Fort Stanwix and demanded its surrender. The fort commander refused. That night, after dinner, they set lines in the river to catch their breakfast. The following morning, they forded the river and then followed a narrow path through the forest. That night, they set up camp along a creek. On the third night, they camped eight miles from Fort Stanwix. At 6:00, they clustered with family and neighbors and ate breakfast. They knew that for many, it would be their last meal on earth.  By 8:00, they rolled their blankets, packed bags, checked flints, and saddled the horses. At 9:00, they began marching. They finally reached the top of a hill, then descended into a ravine. A little brook formed a swamp. A kingfisher flitted among the willows, and bees droned in the hot air.

Suddenly, in the distance, from a scrub oak thicket, the Mohawk cry, “Oonah! Oonah!” was heard. The British and their allies retreated. At 2:00 in the afternoon, eight hours after beginning, the battle was over. 

In Fort Stanwix, the troops raised a Stars and Stripes flag made from a white shirt, a soldier’s blue jacket, and a woman’s red petticoat.

Nobody talked about glory. It didn’t feel like a victory. Over half had died. One quarter of the survivors had to be carried home, and about half of the wounded died en route. Many of the families in the valley had lost all or most of their male members. Women cried for husbands, sons, and fathers. Men struggled to look at the places where their fathers, brothers, and sons once stood. Once, noisy children were quiet, and the churchyards had more new graves than old. 

And the war was just beginning. By its end, two-thirds of the Mohawk, Schoharie, and Upper Hudson Valley lay in waste, and about one-third of the settlers had been captured or killed. It was a hard won war — one that we nearly loss.” (FamilySearch, n.d.)  

Josiah Bronson Defense of New Haven / Defense of the State of Connecticut

Josiah Bronson (6th maternal great uncle) was born on 6 June 1713 in New Haven, Connecticut, British Colonial America, and died on 20 February 1804 in Middlebury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Josiah’s military service details are:

• Enlisted: September 15, 1776
• Rank: Private
• Captain: Benjamin Hill
• Unit: Col. Philip Burr Bradley’s Battalion
• Purpose: Defense of New Haven / Defense of the State of Connecticut
• Discharged: December 30, 1776 (Ancestry.com, 2011)

The Battalion was instrumental in the Revolutionary War:

• Historical records show Bradley’s regiment:
• was raised in May 1776
• Marched to New York shortly after organization;
• Served on the west side of the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey;
• Helped defend Fort Constitution (later Fort Lee);
• Supported Washington during the New York campaign.

The regiment experienced difficulties in 1776, serving during the British offensive with the fall of Fort Washington, killing, capturing (28 died while captured, some from smallpox), and going missing during the battle. (Abbott, 2024)

Josiah Bronson’s Home

Josiah’s “house also served as a tavern and hosted several French officers during the Revolutionary War: first in 1781 when Rochambeau’s French army encamped in Middlebury from June 27 to July 1, on its way to the Siege of Yorktown, and again from October 26-28, 1782, during their return journey. One of the officers to stay in the tavern was the Baron de Viomenil, who was second in command to General Rochambeau during the Yorktown Campaign. At these times, Rochambeau himself most likely stayed with Isaac Bronson.”(Historic Buildings of Connecticut, 2010)

Isaac Bronson II (7th maternal great-grandfather), 27 March 1670 – 13 June 1751, built the Josiah Bronson house in 1738, but he died before it was finished. Isaac left the house to Josiah. This home is still standing in Waterbury, CT. (FamilySearch, n.d.) This is the oldest surviving house in Middlebury. (Historic Buildings of Connecticut, n.d.)

The Lake Family: Loyalists on the Wrong Side of History

The Revolutionary War was not just a war against the British, but neighbor against neighbor, and it split families. Not everyone was a patriot. Many remained loyal to the Crown. “Historians estimate that roughly 20–30% of colonists remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary War.” (Library of Congress, n.d.)

James Lake Jr.

 James Lake Sr. (5th paternal great-grandfather), born 16 August 1760 – 6 August 1839, remained loyal to the Crown. The Lake family was divided in their loyalty. Those in New York were Loyalists, and those in New Jersey were Patriots.

James Lake Joins The Loyal Rangers Service

In 1777, he joined the Loyal Rangers as a private. He served with the British Crown during the American Revolution. His commander, General John Burgoyne, enlisted on July 6, 1777. After 93 days of service, he was taken prisoner at the surrender of British forces at the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. James was a prisoner of war from 1777 to 1783. (FamilySearch, n.d.)

Lake Family Land Issues

When the war was over, they were left with nothing. Their land deeds were lost when their home was burned during the Revolutionary War. After the war, they were destitute and landless. He left with his wife and 50,000 refugees to Canada as Loyalists; they were not protected or safe in the United States. They previously had struggles with their land before the Revolutionary War.

“John and three of his brothers and a brother-in-law received a land grant of 5,000 acres in New York from King George III in 1761. The family moved from New Jersey to New York and settled on the land. They also obtained a larger tract of 10,000 acres adjacent to their land after they relocated.” (FamilySearch, n.d.) This land went to court when the governor of New Hampshire stated that the land grants overlapped. The court sided with the New York Grants. The New Hampshire land grant owners had to buy their land back from the state of New York. (FamilySearch, n.d.)

“Ethan Allen was very angry with the verdict and organized a band he called the Green Mountain Boys to drive the New Yorkers from what they felt were their New Hampshire land grants. They terrorized settlers and made raids on the lands, burning homes,
barns and haystac.” (FamilySearch, n.d.)

Property & Land Grants in Canada

The Treaty of Paris recognized America’s Independence on April 17, 1783. The British loyalists were provided aid, transportation, land, provisions, etc. by the British Crown. “People who served the Crown were called United Empire (U.E.) Loyalists were
granted land in Canada to help compensate for their losses. Roughly 50,000 refugees left the thirteen colonies and moved to Canada.” (FamilySearch, n.d.) The Loyalists were provided 200 acres. (HISTORY.com Editors, 2025)

A Family of Loyalists

• Thomas Lake (5th great-granduncle) 1753 – 1852 Served in the Loyal Rangers (FamilySearch, n.d.)
• Christopher Lake (5th great-granduncle), 18 May 1755 – 6 April 1820, served in the Loyal Rangers
  • General Burgoyne’s company taken prisoner Oct. 7, 1777 (FamilySearch, n.d.)
• Nicholas Lake Jr (5th great-granduncle) 1750 to 1757 – about 1801 Loyal Rangers (McMillan, 1956) Colonel Peters’ Corps (Johnston, n.d.)
  • Taken prisoner at Saratoga (Johnston, n.d.)
• James Parrott (husband of my 5th great-grandaunt), November 1746 – 5 May 1821, British Army at Crown Point in November 1776
  • Enlisted as a Lieutenant in Captain Peters’ Corps
• John N. Lake Jr. (5th great-granduncle) about 1759 – 16 July 1828 British Crown / Loyalist JESOPPs Corps (Johnston, n.d.)
• All Members received land grants in Canada for their service in the British Army (Johnston, n.d.)

James Durfee

James Durfee (paternal 6th great-grandfather), 1735 – 5 September 1813 in Tiverton, Newport, Rhode Island, British Colonial America. He was born in the third generation in British Colonial America.

Colonel William Barton’s Light Corps

Colonel William Barton’s Light Corps was a specialized Continental Army command raised during the Rhode Island campaign. Rather than serving as a traditional line regiment, it consisted of selected soldiers chosen for missions requiring speed, mobility, and reconnaissance.

The corps typically performed duties such as:

• Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
• Screening the movements of the Continental Army.
• Guarding the army’s advance and rear.
• Conducting surprise attacks and skirmishes.
• Protecting strategic positions during the Rhode Island campaign. (Wright, 1983)

Jacob Schmidt

Jacob Schmidt (6th paternal Great-Grandfather), 20 August 1748 – 3 February 1835, enlisted in Berkeley County, Virginia, in 1777 to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He first served in Captain Porterfield’s Company of Colonel Pendleton’s Virginia Regiment for approximately four months.

Around Christmas 1777, he was transferred to Captain Morrow’s Rifle Company, a unit composed of selected riflemen. He later reenlisted in Virginia for another term of about three months, serving in Captain David May’s Virginia Mounted Rifle Company of the Flying Camp.

During his military service, Jacob Schmidt participated in two skirmishes and fought in the Battle of Guilford Court House, one of the pivotal engagements of the Southern Campaign. Although the British claimed a tactical victory, the heavy casualties they suffered weakened their army and contributed to the eventual American victory later that year. (National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)

“‘I never saw such fighting since God made me. The Americans fought like demons.’ Lt. General Charles, Earl Cornwallis. On March 15, 1781, six years into the American Revolution, General Greene and Lord Cornwallis’ troops faced off at a small courthouse community. The battle would change the course of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.” (National Park Service, n.d.)

 Parker Smith

Parker Smith (5th Paternal great-grandfather) 2 November 1758 – 13 March 1827, born in Stonington, New London, Connecticut Colony, British Colonial America. He enrolled and served from February 13 to April 1, 1777. 

He served in Colonel John Douglas’s 21st Regiment of Connecticut Militia, including Major James Gordon’s Voluntown men, who were actively deployed on coastal defense duty along the New England shoreline. 

Militia units operated on short-term rotational enlistments rather than permanent standing deployments. The regiment split its time between active border patrolling and domestic readiness. 

The service included:  

• Guarding Rhode Island and Point Judith (February – March 1777) 
• Stationed at coastal lookouts, most notably around Providence and Point Judith, Rhode Island. 
• They spent the winter standing guard in freezing conditions, fortified against British naval incursions, preventing enemy foraging parties from landing, and protecting local shipping lanes.  (FamilySearch, n.d.)

 “The Purpose: This winter-to-spring rotation allowed the men to return to their families to prepare their farms for the critical spring planting season.” (FamilySearch, n.d.)

Zephaniah Andrews

Zephaniah Andrews1q (maternal 6th great-grandfather) 9 May 1728 – 3 February 1800 served as a Private in Captain Jacob Haskins’s Company, Colonel John Jacobs’s Regiment during the American Revolutionary War. His dates of service June 1778 to January 1779. (FamilySearch, n.d., “The Providence Grenadier Company”)

The British still held Newport by 1778, having occupied it since December 1776. The American strategy focused on:

• Rhode Island remained a contested “buffer zone”
• Patriot forces focused on:
  • Fortifying Tiverton and Little Compton
  • Securing ferry crossings and supply routes
  • Preparing for potential amphibious raids

This led to frequent short-term militia mobilizations in the Tiverton-Bristol-Providence defensive corridor. (Massachusetts, Secretary of the Commonwealth, 1896–1908).

Nicholas Van Zandt Sr

Nicholas Van Zandt Sr (paternal 5th great-grandfather), 25 December 1737 – 1805, served in the militia. Unlike Continental soldiers, militia members answered repeated calls to duty for short periods. This allowed them to continue farming. (Daughters of the American Revolution, n.d.)

“May 15, 1775, marked a transition towards military readiness, with the Congress urging colonies to prepare their militias by organizing able-bodied men aged 16 to 50. Among the significant actions taken was the establishment of a Continental army, with George Washington appointed as commander in chief on June 15, 1775, due to his military experience and moderate political stance.” (EBSCO Research Starters, n.d.)

 James Walworth

 James Walworth (6th paternal great-grandfather), 2 September 1734 – 1795, served in the military, rank captain, Quartermaster, Council of Safety and served with Ethan Allen at Fort Ticonderoga. His responsibilities commonly included:

• Communicating with state and Continental authorities
• Organizing local militia
• Supervising defense preparations
• Procuring military supplies
• Enforcing laws enacted by revolutionary governments
• Maintaining public security
• Procuring food and rations
• Issuing clothing and blankets
• Obtaining wagons and draft animals
• Managing ammunition and military stores
• Coordinating transportation
• Establishing supply depots
• Supporting troop movements

Print Pin

Family Apple Pie Recipe

Every family recipe is a slice of history, lovingly baked into the present and shared with the generations yet to come.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie, bake, family recipe, Pie, Recipe

Servings 8

Equipment

• Pyrex C-209 Clear Fluted Rim Glass Pie Plate 9.5 in x 1.6 in

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs Apples Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, BraeburnJonagoldPink Lady
• ¾ cups Sugar Adjust to taste depending on the sweetness of the apples
• 3 tbsp Corn Starch
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Adjust to taste
• ½ tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 drop Yellow Optional
• 1 9" Double pie crust See my mom's recipe ing. below
• 2 ¼ cups Water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) before starting to make the filling
• Peel, core, and slice the apples into ¼-inch slices.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• Add the apples and lemon juice, tossing until the apples are evenly coated.
• Spoon the filling into an unbaked 9-inch pie crust, mounding slightly in the center.
• Dot with 1–2 tablespoons of butter (optional, but recommended for a richer filling).
• Cover with the top crust or lattice crust. Trim, seal, and crimp the edges. Cut slits in a solid top crust to vent steam.
• Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 35–45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.Cool for at least 2–3 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set.

Video

Notes

Apple Pie Arrives in America

Apple pie has existed in Europe for hundreds of years. The earliest surviving apple pie recipe appears in 1381 in The Forme of Cury, a cookbook compiled by the royal cooks of King Richard II of England.(Pegge, 1780) Rather than the sweet dessert we know today, the medieval recipe combined apples with figs, raisins, pears, and spices inside a sturdy pastry shell.

Apples themselves originated in Central Asia before spreading throughout Europe via trade and cultivation. By the Middle Ages, orchards flourished across England, France, and the Netherlands, making apples an important food crop. (Eschner, 2017)

Apple Pie During the Revolutionary Era

During the American Revolutionary War, homemade pies represented resourcefulness and home. Families often prepared pies with local apples and whatever sweeteners were available, including maple sugar, molasses, or honey when imported sugar was scarce. (Eschner, 2017)

While George Washington and the Continental Army were fighting for independence, families on the home front continued traditions centered around seasonal harvests and baking. Apple pie became associated with comfort, perseverance, and community.

Apple Pie and the Fourth of July

Today, apple pie is one of the most popular desserts served on the Fourth of July because it became culturally associated with American identity, home, and national tradition in the 19th and 20th centuries (Eschner, 2017).

It is often connected to themes such as:

• The summer harvest
• Family gatherings
• Community celebrations
• America’s agricultural heritage
• A tradition passed down through generations

For many families, baking an apple pie is as much about remembering ancestors as it is enjoying dessert, reflecting how food traditions often serve as carriers of cultural memory and identity (Roos, 2026).

Food is the great connector, linking us to our ancestors through recipes, memories, traditions, and love. It evokes the warmth of a grandmother’s kitchen and the comforting aromas of something simmering on the stove, speaking a language older than words. With every bite, we remember who we are and carry those stories forward, nourishing the future with the essence of the past.

A Taste of Family History on Our Lifestyle Blog

Relationships

References

• Abbott, T. (2024, October 24). The terrible ordeal of Capt. Bezaleel Beebe’s Company of Connecticut State Levies. Journal of the American Revolution. https://allthingsliberty.com/2024/10/the-terrible-ordeal-of-capt-bezaleel-beebes-company-of-connecticut-state-levies/
• American Aristocracy. (n.d.). Isaac Bronson (1736–1826): Farmer of Waterbury, Connecticut & member of the State Legislature. Retrieved June 30, 2026, from https://americanaristocracy.com/people/isaac-bronson-2
• Brown, A. G. (Applicant). (1941; approved 1944). Supplemental application to the Michigan Society, Sons of the American Revolution, National Membership No. 63806, State No. 1838, documenting Patriot ancestor Josiah Bronson. In U.S., Sons of the American Revolution membership applications, 1889–1970 [Database with images]. Ancestry.com.
• Carlisle 250. (n.d.). John Nickles Jr. https://www.carlisle250.org/john-nickles-jr.html
• Carlisle 250. (n.d.). Joseph Nickles Jr. https://www.carlisle250.org/joseph-nickles1.html
• Connecticut National Guard. (n.d.). Gallery of heroes: Revolutionary War. Connecticut Military Department. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://ct.ng.mil/About/History/Gallery-of-Heroes-Revolutionary-War/ FamilySearch. (n.d.).
• Daughters of the American Revolution. (n.d.). Revolutionary War Ancestor Database: Nicholas Van Sant (Ancestor No. A118860). DAR Genealogical Research System
• EBSCO Research Starters. (n.d.). Continental Congress resolves to put colonies in state of defense. EBSCO Information Services. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/continental-congress-resolves-put-colonies-state-defense
• Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Josiah Bartlett. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Josiah-Bartlett
• Eschner, K. (2017, May 12). Apple pie is not all that American. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-apple-pie-linked-america-180963157
• . https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/L759-YZF
• FamilySearch. (n.d.). Fictional president in The West Wing, a TV series [Document]. ID LZFS-HYD. FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/LZFS-HYD
• FamilySearch. (n.d.). History of James Lake Sr. ID LL9G-5SW. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/LL9G-5SW FamilySearch. (n.d.).
• FamilySearch. (n.d.). Isaac Bronson Jr. 1670-1751 IDL5FL-MF3. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/L5FL-MF3 FamilySearch. (n.d.).
• FamilySearch. (n.d.). Parker Smith [Family Tree profile / memory]. FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/LKKM-659
• FamilySearch. (n.d.). The Providence Grenadier Company: Capt. Jonathan Arnold, 1st Lieut. Zephaniah Andrews [Historical record]. FamilySearch. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2M-P8JQ?lang=en
• FamilySearch. (n.d.). United Empire Loyalists. ID LL9G-5SW. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/LL9G-5SW
• Freedom’s Way Heritage Association. (n.d.). Minute Man muster location marker. https://monuments.freedomsway.org/monuments/minute-man-muster-location-marker/
• HISTORY.com Editors. (2025, May 27). United Empire Loyalists reach Canada. History. History.com article
• Historic Buildings of Connecticut (n.d.) describes the Josiah Bronson House as one of Middlebury’s oldest surviving eighteenth-century homes.
• The Lakes of the Revolution ID KNWB-7LM. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from FamilySearch Memory KNWB-7LM
• Johann Peter Wagner.” (n.d.). FamilySearch Memories. Retrieved June 21, 2026, from FamilySearch Memory Page for Johann Peter Wagner Johnston, W. W. (n.d.). Burleigh files—Lake family history. W. W. Johnston Family History
• Library of Congress. (n.d.). Revolutionary War: The home front. U.S. History Primary Source Timeline. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/american-revolution-1763-1783/revolutionary-war-home-front/
• Massachusetts. Secretary of the Commonwealth (1896–1908) documents Andrews’s service record in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War
• McMillan, C. N. (1956). A history of my people and yours: Including the families of Nicholas Lake. Privately printed.
• National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Revolutionary War pension and bounty-land warrant application files: Jacob Schmidt (S16253) [Image of pension file page]. National Archives Catalog. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196657322
• National Park Service. (2025, April 14). A forgotten Civil War: The Revolution begins in the Mohawk Valley; Part 3. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/fost/blogs/a-forgotten-civil-war-the-revolution-begins-in-the-mohawk-valley-part-3.htm
• National Park Service. (n.d.). April 19, 1775. Minute Man National Historical Park. https://www.nps.gov/mima/learn/historyculture/april-19-1775.htm
• National Park Service. (n.d.). Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. U.S. Department of
• National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. (1924, October). Sons of the American Revolution Magazine, 19(2). https://www.sar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/XIX-NO-2_OCTOBER-1924.pdf
• Pegge, S. (1780). The forme of cury: A roll of ancient English cookery, compiled about A.D. 1390. J. Nichols. https://archive.org/details/b21529401
• Roos, D. (2026). Who invented pie? HISTORY. https://www.history.com/articles/pie-america-ancient-rome-egypt
• The Second Continental Light Dragoons. (n.d.). Our past. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://dragoons.info/our_past/ The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of Connecticut. (n.d.). Surg Mate Isaac Bronson (1760–1839). Retrieved June 23, 2026, from https://www.theconnecticutsociety.org/bronsonbrunson-isaac/
• Wright, R. K., Jr. (1983). The Continental Army. U.S. Army Center of Military History. https://history.army.mil/html/books/060/60-4-1/index.html