the battle of trenton and the victory at princeton
TRANSCRIPT
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The Battle of Trenton
And the Victory at Princeton
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The Declaration of Independence
• The Declaration of Independence was signed and adopted on July 4th, 1776
• This represented an official declaration of war against the British Government
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Early Battles• Most early battles involved few
troops– Bunker Hill
• 2,200 British• 1,200 Americans
• The British had not won a decisive battle over the Patriots
• Summer of 1776– British sent 32,000 troops to
New York– General Howe hoped that the
huge army would convince the Patriots to give up
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Fighting in New York• Long Island
– Washington had fewer than 20,000 troops• But they were determined to fight
– Continental Army was outnumbered• They suffered heavy losses
– Americans ran short on supplies
• Casualties– British – 400– American - 1500
• Washington retreats to Manhattan then to New Jersey and on to Pennsylvania
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Nathan Hale
• Hero at Long Island– Teacher from Connecticut– Disquised as a Dutch
Schoolteacher– Wanted to spy on British
• Hale was discovered and hanged– “I only regret that I have
but one life to lose for my country.”
– Nathan Hale
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A Low Point
• Winter of 1776 – 1777– Continental Army dwindles– Soldiers went home or
deserted
• Washington wrote his brother– If new soldiers were not
recruited soon, “I think the game is pretty near up.”
• Washington could not believe that the fight for liberty would truly fail.
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African Americans Join the Fight
• Continental Army needed soldiers– Estimated 5,000 African-
American joined the Patriots
– Enslaved Africans who had run away
– Fought to earn their freedom
• By wars end, all colonies except South Carolina had enlisted African Americans
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The Winter of 1776-1777
• General Howe took his troops to New York for the Winter– He left New Jersey in the
hands of the Hessians
• Howe’s delay allowed Washington to gather reinforcements– Thomas Paine said, “These
are the times that try men’s souls.”
– He urged Patriots to remain loyal to their cause
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The Battle of Trenton• Washington plans a surprise attack on the Hessians• December 25, 1776
– Washington and his men cross the Delaware River into Trenton• 2,500 Men
• Lasted less than 1 hour– Patriots captured more than 900 Hessians– Only 5 American Cassualties
• The victory boosted American Spirits
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On to Princeton• Washington was not satisfied
– Patriots march toward Princeton
• January 2, 1777– Patriots keep campfires burning– Left camp under the cover of
night– The encircled the British Troops
• Princeton was another victory for the Patriots– “It is a fine fox chase, my boys!”
– George Washington
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