Victory or Death: General Washington at Trenton & Princeton

This lecture will cover two topics. First, I will describe the British positions north and east of the American position, and across the Delaware River. Second, I will provide information concerning the German mercenaries (Hessians) that the British hired to help in the war. I will also quote from a contemporary source that illustrates how the Hessians took over private homes for room and board.

In this lecture, I will describe Washington's four-part plan concerning the attempt to capture Trenton from the Hessians. The plan involved luring away other Hessians in the area, so they could not come to the aid of the Hessians in Trenton. The plan also called for troops to block the southern exit from Trenton in order to prevent any from escaping. Last, the main attack involved troops hitting the town from two different angles. Hopefully, the element of surprise would be maintained, and hopefully all of the troops would be able to cross the ice-filled Delaware River.

In this lecture, I will share the story of the opening phases of the Trenton plan, namely the strategy to lure the Hessians away from the Trenton area. And were the troops successful in closing that back door of Trenton to keep any Hessians from escaping? Also in this lecture, we will look at the work of both British and American spies, who were busy on the eve of the Battle of Trenton.

In this lecture, we will follow the main body of the American troops as they attempt to secretly cross the Delaware River during a snowstorm, and to march overnight to the town of Trenton by daybreak. There were many obstacles, and Washington was very concerned about maintaining the element of surprise, since the Hessians were a formidable opponent. Some of the well-known paintings of Washington's crossing of the Delaware are also presented.

This lecture will describe the Battle of Trenton, as the Americans hit the town from two angles, with infantry and artillery. The Hessians bravely responded, though they were extremely disadvantaged because they did not have time to adequately organize their resistance. This battle was a crucial victory for the Americans.

This lecture summarizes two topics. First, Washington pleaded with those troops whose enlistments expired on December 31, 1776, asking that they stay with the Army for another month. He could only offer at ten dollar bonus. He needed these troops for another offensive that he was planning. Second, the lecture will describe how General Cornwallis brought a large British and German force down to attack Washington in retaliation for the Trenton victory. Washington must figure a way to avoid a major defeat, as the opposing forces far outnumber him.

In this lecture, I will relate how General Washington evaded Cornwallis' army and attacked the town of Princeton north of Trenton. The weather was a great help to Washington, both in his night march around Cornwallis, and his surprise attack at Princeton the next morning. The Battle of Princeton was a great victory for the Americans, but it began badly when some British troops outside of Princeton attacked some American units. After the battle, Washington was able to slip away from Cornwallis' army that was attempting to catch the Americans.

This lecture summarizes the many results from the American victories at Trenton and Princeton. These include the anger and frustration of the American Tories, as well as the British and Hessian troops in the colonies, and the politicians and people of England. The victories were a tremendous encouragement to those supporting the revolution, and some who had recently leaned toward the Tories, now returned to support the patriot cause. The victories, along with Thomas Paine's "The American Crisis", helped bolster enlistments into the Continental Army as well. Last, the military actions begun at Trenton and Princeton continued on the part of smaller militia units in New Jersey in early 1777 in what is called the "Forage Wars".

In this postscript, I look at the main persons covered in this course, focusing upon their lives after the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Where did they go from there? This includes the life and legacy of General George Washington, and the legacy of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton.