Washington Wins Princeton: Morale Boosts Revolution
Washington crossed the Delaware at night in a blizzard. Two soldiers froze to death. Their boots left bloody prints in the snow. But ten days later, he did it again. This time at Princeton. The British thought he was retreating to Philadelphia. Instead, he marched his army in a wide circle through frozen farmland. Dawn attack. Complete surprise. General Hugh Mercer died leading the charge, bayoneted by British soldiers who mistook him for Washington. The victory convinced France that Americans could actually win this war. Without French ships and gold, there would be no United States. Washington's second river crossing changed everything.
January 3, 1777
249 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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