The Art of Programming

Beyond Dates and Dust: 

Historian & Author Brings the American Revolution Back to Life
By Sage Harwell, Staff Writer

KEYPORT, N.J. — There are historians who recite names, dates, and middle initials, and then there are historians who tell stories. John R. Schneider falls firmly into the latter camp — and that distinction may explain why his America250 presentations have been drawing interest among those living in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties.

Schneider, a Keyport-based historian, author, television host, and storyteller, has been traveling throughout the region with a series of live presentations tied to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

Audiences quickly discover they are not attending a conventional lecture. What unfolds instead is something closer to an experience — part storytelling, part performance, and part conversation with the past.

“I’m not interested in trivializing or glorifying American history,” Schneider explained. “If you overload people with names and dates, you interrupt their journey toward a better understanding of our past. I want history to feel like motion — like traveling a road where the landscape of the past tells you what matters.”

That philosophy shapes every aspect of Schneider’s acclaimed presentations. He moves freely through the room to engage his audience, shifts tone as the audience reacts, and uses humor to keep the atmosphere relaxed and open. 

Period clothing often appears — sometimes worn by Schneider himself — not as costume drama, but as a reminder that history was once lived inside real garments by real people.

What many attendees don’t expect is what happens before and after the talks. Along one side of the room, there is usually a full rack of Revolutionary-era clothing for men, women, and children. Hats, coats, dresses, waistcoats, and accessories hang ready for use, joined by lanterns, swords, muskets, and period props. A historic backdrop completes the scene. Attendees are encouraged to dress up and take photographs.

It is not uncommon to see children posing proudly in tricorn hats, parents laughing behind a borrowed musket, or grandparents stepping into a scene they’ve only ever seen in textbooks. The photographs often continue well after the formal presentation has ended, blurring the line between learning and memory-making.

“As a student of journalism, I was trained to look for the story behind the story,” Schneider said. “What pushed people to make the difficult choices they made? What were they afraid of? What did they stand to lose?”

That instinct has shaped how he approaches the American Revolution. Rather than treating it as a settled narrative of patriots and villains, Schneider focuses on the lived danger of the moment — a time when neighbors suddenly became suspects, loyalties were questioned, and being labeled a traitor to the Crown could mean confiscation, imprisonment, exile, or worse.

“A lot of people don’t realize how dangerous it was,” he said. “Once the different sides hardened, there was no safe middle. You could be punished not for what you did, but for what someone thought you believed.”

In addition to his live presentations, Schneider has authored numerous books on American and regional history. Many of his works are available at CreateAVisionMedia.com.

His books reflect the same storytelling approach. Titles such as War for Independence in Monmouth County, Shadows of the American Revolution — which explores twenty-five overlooked stories — Origins of Liberty, and The Deadly Divide reframe the American Revolution as a deeply personal and often uncomfortable civil conflict. Other works, including Historical Journey Across Raritan Bay and Fighting for Freedom on Raritan Bay, emphasize how geography shaped human choices, showing how waterways, shorelines, and trade routes influenced loyalty, danger, and opportunity.

Schneider’s scope extends beyond the Revolutionary era. In Archaeology of New Jersey and The Long Walk of Lenape, he explores deeper layers of the region’s past, connecting Indigenous history, material culture, and long-term human presence to the stories that followed.

“The Revolution didn’t arrive as an idea,” Schneider said. “It arrived as a disruption. It showed up at dinner tables, on docks, in churches, and at the edge of farms. People were forced to react long before they were ready to decide what they believed.”

Schneider’s work has not gone unnoticed within professional historical circles. He was named one of Monmouth County’s top 50 historians of the past 50 years, a recognition that reflects not only the depth of his research but also his ability to translate complex history into narratives that resonate beyond academia. 

Schneider has also produced several historical documentaries for his television program, which reaches roughly half a million viewers, and his historical content is shared across more than 50 Facebook groups, reaching an estimated 350,000 members. 

Schneider enjoys staying after events to answer questions, pose for photographs, and continue conversations sparked during the presentation. In an era of prerecorded lectures and tightly scripted appearances, that accessibility has become part of his reputation. 

And for many attending his America250 presentations, that blend of storytelling and interaction is exactly what makes the past feel alive again, not as distant history, but as something still echoing into the present.

Reprinted with permission.