The Battle of Monmouth was fought in 1778 on land that is now part of Manalapan and Freehold townships. Monmouth Battlefield State Park occupies in the two townships.Wikoff, Lydia. "Manalapan Spanning Three Centuries", Manalapan Township. Accessed September 4, 2015. "In researching it could not be found how the decision to name it Manalapan came about. The name Manalapan translate from the Lenape Indian Words 'manel' for drinking and 'paune' for bread meant good land to settle upon, for the Indians.... You are well aware that Manalapan was the site of the Battle of Monmouth, a Revolutionary War engagement held on June 28, 1778 involving 30,000 British and Continental troops. On the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle, in 1978, the State opened the 1,520 acre Monmouth Battlefield State Park. Eighty percent of the Park is in Manalapan Township."
