Washington Crossing the Delaware

The signifcance of General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and defeat of the British in New Jersey checked the British advance toward Philadelphia and restored American morale.

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Washington's victory was complete but his situation precarious. The violent weather continued, making a strike towards Princeton more difficult. Washington and his commanding officers decided to retrace their steps across the Delaware taking their Hessian prisoners with them. The news of the American victory spread rapidly through the colonies reinvigorating the failing spirit of the Revolution. The battle's outcome also gave Washington and his officers the confidence to mount another campaign. On December 30 they again crossed the Delaware, attacked and won another victory at Trenton on January 2, and then pushed on to Princeton defeating the British there on January 3.

Washington Crossing the Delaware

In December of 1776, times were desperate for George Washington. The continental army was encamped in Pennsylvania and were unsure of their future. During the night of December 25, Washington led his troops across the ice covered Delaware about nine miles north of Trenton. The weather was horrendous and the river treacherous. Raging winds combined with snow, sleet and rain to produce almost impossible conditions. To add to the difficulties, a significant number of Washington's force marched through the snow without shoes. The next morning they attacked to the south, taking the Hessian garrison by surprise and over-running the town. After fierce fighting, and the loss of their commander, the Hessians surrendered.

Battle of Yorktown

General Washington commanded the Americans, Lieutenant General de Rochambeau commanded the French and Major General Lord Cornwallis commanded the British.

Battle of Yorktown

The British were forced to surrender to the Americans, helped by their allies, the French. They sieged the city.There was a total of 381 men dead and 8087 British troops were captured. Spain helped the colonies with providing money and goods.

Battle of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown, in 1781, was the last major battle in the American Revolution. British general Cornwallis was against French general Marquis de Lafayette and General George Washington. French admiral DeGrasse was commander of the French naval fleet and defeated the British navy, thus prohibiting them from entering Chesapeake Bay and giving aid and resources to Cornwallis. Cornwallis was surrounded by Washington's troops  who came from the North and Lafayette's from the South. This was called the 'pincer' strategy. Cornwallis couldn't go anywhere by land or by sea. Cornwallis surrended on October 17, his troops vastly outnumbered. By winning this battle, America won the war

Battle of Lexington and Concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were battles that took many lives. By the end of the day, British troops had lost 273 soldiers, while the Colonists lost only 94. Eighteen of these Colonists had died during the battle at Lexington. The Revolutionary War had begun.