George Washington

“The battle pitted approximately 2,400 soldiers of the Continental Army, commanded by George Washington, up against about 1,400 Hessian soldiers commanded by Colonel Johann Rall.”(Battle of Trenton Facts)This fact shows how the Americans had more soldiers than the British side.Causes, leaders ,events,effects of the battle shows how this battle was a major battle.

Washington's reevaluation of the situation after the failure in New York was the strategy he should have adopted from the start of the war. His knowledge of war fighting was learned by direct observation and experience. In this, he realized to win he must more that all else, preserve the integrity of the Continental Army. "Washington concluded that if the army could be kept alive, the Revolutionary cause would remain alive." (Weigley, p. 12) In gaining this insight, Washington set about on a new course to victory in that the "Art of War" is demonstrated.

Some of the Hessian and British soldiers tried to escape over Assunpink Bridge, but General Sullivan led troops to the bridge and guarded it to prevent more escapes. The Hessians and British were now trapped. The Hessians who tried to escape through the apple orchards and over Assunpink Bridge were all forced to surrender. The Americans had won the battle of Trenton in less than two hours.

Washington took away that fear when he launched the attack on Hessian troops. He followed up this victory by a win at Princeton. Next, he was forced to fight a battle that he knew he would lose. The British navy took over Philadelphia at the battle of Brandywine Creek. Washington’s militia was strengthened in October, when General Gates won at Saratoga, New York. In the spring of 1778, good news arrived when the French decided to send money, troops, and a fleet to help the colonies. When the British heard the news they decided to consolidate their position to New York and New Jersey. In the time period between 1778 and 1781 Washington kept the British army concealed to New York City. At the time he faced a variety of disappointments by losing the battles of Brooklyn Heights, Kip’s Bay, Harlem Heights, and White Plains.

The importance of this raid lay in the fact that they captured much-needed cannons and gunpowder.

Guerrilla warfare was a big part in winning many battles in the Revolutionary war. One of biggest wins using this tactic was the Battle of Trenton. The Battle of Trenton was fought December 26, 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey. General George Washington decided to take the Hessians by surprise. The Hessians were approximately 30,000 German soldiers that Great Britain hired to help them win the war and about 1,400 were in Trenton. General George Washington took his soldiers and crossed the Delaware river at the stroke of midnight. They were going to attack the Hessians while they were all sleeping. Most people think that the

A major battle in the book 1776, and an important turning point of the year, was the Battle of Trenton. After crossing the Delaware River, the Continental Army opened fire on the surprised Hessian troops that were stationed there. After a 45-minute battle, the Hessians surrendered, giving the Americans a much needed victory. McCullough shows the importance of this battle by describing multiple American victories that followed, such as the Battles of Princeton and Fort Lee.

December 25-26, 1776 Washington's surprise attack against Hessian forces in Trenton, NJ. Washington crossed the Delaware river so that his army could attack an isolated gorrion of Hessian troops at trenton, New York.(“Crossing the Delaware”).

On a stormy December night in 1776 general George Washington and his men braved the cold and crossed the Delaware River to attack unsuspecting British soldiers. This bold move helped to turn the tides of the American Revolution and proved to be one of the most important American victories of the war. This historical battle was commemorated through a painting by German artist, Emmanuel Leutze. The painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River properly represents the fighting spirit and resiliency of the colonial forces during the American Revolution.

The Battle of Yorktown gave General Washington the advantage he needed to win. General Washington, with the help of the French saw the opportunity to end the war by cornering General Cornwallis at Yorktown. (The History Channel Website, n.d.) Prior to the surrender of General Cornwallis to General Washington at Yorktown, the British were winning several battles. General Washington needed to do something before he had no other options left. General Washington’s forces were low in numbers and strength but knew the land to give them an edge in being rooted out by the British. (Lanning, 2005) General Washington used time and heavy militia to replenish his losses but did not have the troops to capture British Garrisons. (Lanning, 2005) The British in turn, could not pass the militia aiding General Washington. (Lanning, 2005)The militia, fighting alongside continental troops, had the land and the support of the people who aided their cause during the battle. The stalemate continued with no sign of either side budging. Guerilla-style operations were used to win many fights and battles that General Washington’s own troops could not. (Lanning, 2005) General Cornwallis, saw Yorktown in Virginia as a viable location to gather resources for future encounters with the Americans. General Cornwallis moved northward from the Carolinas toward Virginia and occupied Yorktown with an estimated 6,000 to 9,000 British troops. (Lanning, 2005) (The History

The Battle of New York would soon prove to be a disaster. It was Washington's first command on a large scale battle. He and his general officers had not only failed, but they looked like fools from the British point of view. After the battle, troops began to run away in fear. Even Washington's closest friend, Joseph Reed, began plotting behind his back. Washington suffered another bitter defeat at Fort Washington, N.Y. The colonists were intimidated, and surrendered Fort Washington. It was a severe blow to the colonists, 2000 were taken prisoner, 59 killed, 146 cannons lost to the British and Hessians in a matter of hours. It was a humiliating blow. During one particularly disastrous skirmish with the British, Washington saw his own troops fleeing from the enemy, and they were refusing to obey orders. Washington threw his hat on the ground in disgust. And

George Washington’s tactics and skills when it came to the Continental army and war were very helpful in the many battles that he led. In Trenton, Washington planned a sneak attack on the British, in which they had to cross the Delaware River on. Because of Washington’s quick thinking and great army skills allowed the Continental Army to succeed in surrounding all the Hessians in Trenton in an orchard, leaving them with

Leading up the battle of Yorktown, in February, 1781, Major General Marquis de Lafayette was ordered to take his Continental troops to Virginia. About a month later General Cornwallis and his army had entered Virginia believing that if the American forces had resistance, he would have victory against the Americans and the French. Later that year in August on 1-2, 1781 Cornwallis and his army set up at Gloucester point, hoping to use it as a base for supply and weapons. Couple of weeks later, Washington heard about the base and sent a large army to destroy Cornwallis base. A month later on September 14, 1781, French General Rochambeau and General Washington arrived, and sent 400 French soldiers and 400 American soldiers to storm the British redoubt. On October 19, 1781, being taken under heavy from the Americans and the French, Major General Cornwallis realized that he was short of troops and decided to escape Yorktown before surrendering. Making the move to escape, a sudden storm from the Americans and French ruined his evacuation plan and Cornwallis was forced to surrender, due to the lack troops and supplies.

The Battle of Trenton is widely regarded as a turning point in the American Revolutionary War. With enlistments in the Continental Army about to expire at the end of the year, General George Washington risked everything in harsh winter conditions to advance across the Delaware River and execute a surprise attack on Hessian troops in Trenton, N.J. An evaluation of the moments that led up to the battle, the setting, area of operations, the Continental and Opposing forces, along with the use of intelligence will reveal the major factors that led to the outcome of the battle. An analysis of the battle will illustrate how Washington devised an offensive plan that demonstrated many of the principles of war still utilized in military operations today.

No other options are left for the American army, running from the British along side the Delaware River, fighting against deserters, disease, famine, and their major lack of artillery was no help to the cause. On the 25th of December in 1776, George Washington led his army across the Delaware River in New Jersey. In a desperate attempt to win a battle, and help motivate people to rejoin the revolution, Washington devised a plan to attack the Hessians at Trenton on Christmas night. He declared that it was victory or death, they were either going to win the battle, or they were going to die, but retreat was not an option.