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In the Battle of Trenton, George Washington became a legend. Find out how the Continental Army achieved a morale-boosting victory in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. Credit Artwork: The Artventurous Life on Etsy | http://etsy.me/2fO1udT Font: Kevin and Amanda Fonts | https://www.kevinandamanda.com/fonts/

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Lexington & Concord

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"A Brief History of America's Independence: Part 2" (Revolutionary War) - 321Learning

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Contents

1. Before the Battles of Trenton and Princeton

2. Washington Crosses the Delaware

3. The Battle of Trenton

4. Between Trenton and Princeton

5. The Battle of Princeton

6. Importance of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton

General George Washington's army crossed the icy Delaware on Christmas Day 1776 and, over the course of the next 10 days, won two crucial battles of the American Revolution. In the Battle of Trenton (December 26), Washington defeated a formidable garrison of Hessian mercenaries before withdrawing. A week later he returned to Trenton to lure British forces south, then executed a daring night march to capture Princeton on January 3. The victories reasserted American control of much of New Jersey and greatly improved the morale and unity of the colonial army and militias.

READ MORE: Explore George Washington's life in our interactive timeline

Before the Battles of Trenton and Princeton

Since August 1776, British forces under General William Howe had been driving the Continental Army south out of New York. On November 16 the British overran Fort Washington in Manhattan, taking 2,000 Americans prisoner.

Did you know? During the Battle of Princeton, Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the U.S. Treasury, fired cannons at British troops blockaded in Nassau Hall, the main building of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Three years earlier, Hamilton had applied to the college but been rejected when he asked for permission to take courses at his own pace.

The British then pursued the Americans across New Jersey. In mid-December Washington led his army south across the Delaware River. They camped on the Pennsylvania side, short of food, ammunition and supplies.

Washington Crosses the Delaware

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Washington realized that without a decisive action, the Continental Army was likely doomed, so he planned a daring assault on the Hessian garrison at Trenton. He envisioned a three-pronged attack, with his army of 2,400 flanked by a 1,900-man diversionary force under Colonel John Cadwalader and a blocking move by General James Ewing's 700 men.

Washington's men and cannons crossed the icy river in boats and began the 19-mile march towards Trenton in a freezing storm. In the end, neither Cadwalader nor Ewing were able to carry out their parts of the plan.

The Battle of Trenton

The Hessian force at Trenton numbered 1,400 under the leadership of Colonel Johann Rall. Although Rall had received warnings of colonial movements, his men were exhausted and unprepared for Washington's attack-though rumors that they were drunk from Christmas celebrations are unfounded.

As he approached the town, Washington divided his men, sending flanking columns under General Nathaniel Greene and General John Sullivan. Meanwhile, Colonel Henry Knox's cannons fired on the garrison. Rall attempted to rally his troops but was never able to establish a defensive perimeter, and was shot from his horse and fatally wounded. The Hessians quickly surrendered. All told, 22 were killed, 92 wounded, 918 captured and 400 escaped in the Battle of Trenton. The Americans suffered two frozen to death and five wounded.

Between Trenton and Princeton

Realizing his men could not hold Trenton against British reinforcements, Washington withdrew across the Delaware. However, on December 30 he crossed back into New Jersey with an army of 2,000. Informed that 8,000 British troops under Generals Charles Cornwallis and James Grant were marching south from Princeton, Washington worked quickly to supplement his numbers, urging militiamen whose terms had expired to stay on for six weeks.

On New Year's Day, Washington's force of 5,000 poorly trained men massed in Trenton. The next day Cornwallis arrived with an army 5,500. After skirmishes at the American lines and three attempts to cross the bridge at Assunpink Creek, Cornwallis relented for the day, assuming he had Washington trapped.

That night, Washington deployed 500 men to keep the campfires going while the rest of his troops made a nighttime march north to Princeton. To keep their movement secret, torches were extinguished and wagon wheels muffled in heavy cloth.
WATCH THE VIDEO: How to Get into Princeton (If You're George Washington)
The Battle of Princeton

At dawn on January 3, 1777, Cornwallis woke to find that his opponent had disappeared, while Washington's men were nearing the end of their 12-mile march to Princeton.

Washington sent a small force under General Hugh Mercer to destroy a bridge. Mercer's men encountered Redcoats under Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood and Mercer was killed in the fighting. Arriving militiamen under Col. Cadwalader had little effect. Then Washington arrived, riding between the firing lines until his terrified horse refused to go on. The Americans rallied and broke through Mercer's lines.

Importance of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton

As at Trenton, the Americans took prisoners, arms and supplies but quickly withdrew after winning the Battle of Princeton. Washington had wanted to advance to New Brunswick, but was fortuitously overruled by his officers (at the time, Cornwallis' men were en route to New Brunswick).

Washington's men marched to Morristown, in northern New Jersey, where they established winter quarters, safe from British incursions. The Continental Army basked in its achievements-at Princeton they had defeated a regular British army in the field. Moreover, Washington had shown that he could unite soldiers from all the colonies into an effective national force.

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Before the Battles of Trenton and Princeton Washington Crosses the Delaware The Battle of Trenton Between Trenton and Princeton The Battle of Princeton Importance of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton General George Washington's army crossed the icy Delaware on Christmas Day 1776 and, over the course of the next 10 days, won two crucial battles of the American Revolution.

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Contents

1. Battle of Bunker Hill: Yankees Prepare to Fight on Breed's Hill

2. Battle of Bunker Hill: June 17, 1775

3. Battle of Bunker Hill: Legacy

On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War (1775-83), the British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost during the Siege of Boston (April 1775-March 1776). Although commonly referred to as the Battle of Bunker Hill, most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed's Hill.

Battle of Bunker Hill: Yankees Prepare to Fight on Breed's Hill

On June 16, 1775, on the heels of the Battles of Lexington and Concord that kicked off the Revolutionary War, American troops learned that the British were planning to send troops from Boston to occupy the hills surrounding the city. Some 1,000 colonial militiamen under Colonel William Prescott (1726-95) built earthen fortifications on top of Breed's Hill, overlooking Boston and located on the Charlestown Peninsula. (The men originally had been ordered to construct their fortifications atop Bunker Hill but instead chose the smaller Breed's Hill, closer to Boston.)

Did you know? In 1843, the Bunker Hill Monument-221-foot-tall granite obelisk-was erected as a monument to the Battle of Bunker Hill. The monument is located on Breed's Hill, where most of the fighting took place.

Battle of Bunker Hill: June 17, 1775

On June 17, some 2,200 British forces under the command of Major General William Howe (1729-1814) and Brigadier General Robert Pigot (1720-96) landed on the Charlestown Peninsula then marched to Breed's Hill. As the British Army advanced in columns against the Americans, Prescott, in an effort to conserve the Americans' limited supply of ammunition, reportedly told his men, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" When the Redcoats were within several dozen yards, the Americans let loose with a lethal barrage of musket fire, throwing the British into retreat.

After re-forming their lines, the British attacked again, with much the same result. Prescott's men were now low on ammunition, though, and when the Redcoats went up the hill for a third time, they reached the redoubts and engaged the Americans in hand-to-hand combat. The outnumbered Americans were forced to retreat. However, by the end of the engagement, the casualties of the Battle of Bunker Hill were high: Patriot gunfire had cut down some 1,000 enemy troops, with more than 200 killed and more than 800 wounded. More than 100 Americans perished, while more than 300 others were wounded. Three weeks later-on July 2, 1775- George Washington arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts to take command of the Continental Army.

Battle of Bunker Hill: Legacy

The British had won the so-called Battle of Bunker Hill, and Breed's Hill and the Charlestown Peninsula fell firmly under British control. Despite losing their strategic positions, the battle was a significant morale-builder for the inexperienced Americans, convincing them that patriotic dedication could overcome superior British military might. Additionally, the high price of victory at the Battle of Bunker Hill made the British realize that the war with the colonies would be long, tough and costly.

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Battle of Bunker Hill: Yankees Prepare to Fight on Breed's Hill Battle of Bunker Hill: June 17, 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill: Legacy On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War (1775-83), the British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts.

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Revolutionary Battles: The American Revolutionary War, the soldiers and the famous battles of the conflict

Revolutionary Battles
The Revolutionary Battles covers the conflicts and battles fought during the American War of Independence. The American Revolutionary Battles covers the revolution of the American Colonies against Great Britain from 1775 to 1783.

The people, important events and key dates of the American Revolutionary Battles in chronological order. Fast facts about American history and the American Revolutionary Battles.

Major Revolutionary Battles
The following list of the major conflicts and Revolutionary Battles that took place during the during the Revolutionary War.

April 19, 1775: Lexington - the first battle of the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of Concord

May 10, 1775: Battle of Fort Ticonderoga

June 17, 1775: Battle of Bunker Hill

January 17, 1781: Battle of Cowpens

June 27-28, 1778: Battle of Monmouth

October 7, 1777: Battle of Saratoga

October 19, 1781: The Siege of Yorktown - the British surrender ended the American Revolutionary War

Revolutionary Battles
This article about the American Revolutionary Battles details the history, facts and information about the Revolutionary War with the important events, conflicts, battles, key dates and years via our Revolutionary Battles Timeline. We have also provided information about the Advantages of the British and the Advantages of the Americans in fighting the Revolutionary War and the associated conflicts and Revolutionary Battles. Not all of the American colonists were united in the War with the British. Many of the wealthy, well-educated colonists had strong links with the mother country and many of these American colonists were opposed to independence. The opponents of the American Revolutionary War were strongest in the Carolinas, and were weakest in New England.

Revolutionary Battles - History Timeline and Chart of Revolutionary Battles
Discover interesting information and facts about the history of the US via the Revolutionary Battles Timeline and chart. The conflicts and Battles that occurred during the 1775 Revolutionary Battles include the the first battle of the Revolutionary War at Lexington, Concord and the Battle of Bunker Hill. Over 30,000 Hessian soldiers were hired to fight against the American rebels during the Revolutionary War and fought during many important battles.

Chart of Revolutionary Battles Timeline and Battlefields

Revolution Battles Timeline Revolutionary War - Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill

Chart of Revolutionary Battles & Battlefields

Results of
Battles

19th April, 1775

The Battle of Lexington

Lexington Green, Massachusetts

Colonial Retreat

19th April, 1775

The Battle of Concord

Concord, Massachusetts

American Victory

April 19, 1775 - March 17, 1776

The Siege of Boston

Boston, Massachusetts. The Siege of Boston included the Battle of Chelsea Creek and the Battle of Bunker Hill

American Victory

19th September, 1777
7th October, 1777

The Battles of Saratoga

Saratoga County, New York
First battle: British victory
Second battle: American victory
British surrender October 17

American Victory
British Surrender

Results of
Battles

Chart of Revolutionary Battles & Battlefields

Revolutionary Battles Timeline

Chart of Revolutionary Battles Timeline and Battlefields

Revolutionary Battles - History Timeline and Chart of Revolutionary Battles
Important events in history in a fast date order format via the Revolutionary Battles containing details of famous events and famous people who feature strongly in the history of America in this comprehensive Revolutionary War Timeline. The Revolutionary Battles provides the sequence of major events in American history - the American War of Independence.

Revolutionary Battles - Advantages of the British
When studying the American Revolutionary War it is helpful to consider the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. The advantages of the British were as follows:

There were six times as many people in the British Isles as there were in the American colonies

The British had a well established standing army - the Americans did not

The British had a well established navy - the Americans did not

The British had quantities of powder, guns, and clothing - the Americans did not

Revolutionary Battles - Advantages of the Americans
The advantages of the Americans were as follows:

America was a long way from and it was very difficult and costly for the British to send additional troops to America, and it was very difficult to feed the soldiers when they were fighting in America

The Americans usually fought on the defensive and the country over which the armies fought was well known and made for defence.

The Americans had many great leaders and soldiers including Washington, Greene, Arnold, Morgan, and Wayne

Revolutionary Battles
Discover interesting information and facts about American history via the Revolutionary Battles. This Revolutionary Battles provides a list detailing key events and dates of this amazing period in history.

A comprehensive Revolutionary Battles Timeline that provides a chronological list detailing the battles and conflicts in date order that were fought against the British in the American War of Independence. The Revolutionary Battles timeline is the fastest and easiest way to gain a full overview of the history of America and the Revolutionary Battles of the American War of Independence.

Revolutionary Battles

Interesting Facts and information about the Revolutionary Battles

Revolutionary Battles history timeline

Fast Facts and info with the Revolutionary Battles timeline

The Revolutionary Battles is great history timeline resource for kids

Social Studies Homework help for kids on Revolutionary Battles

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Revolutionary Battles: The American Revolutionary War, the soldiers and the famous battles of the conflict Revolutionary Battles The Revolutionary Battles covers the conflicts and battles fought during the American War of Independence. The American Revolutionary Battles covers the revolution of the American Colonies against Great Britain from 1775 to 1783.

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Newsela | The Battle of Brooklyn in the Revolutionary War

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The Battle of Brooklyn proved to be a lesson in war with the British for George Washington.