Washington's Crossing

Front Cover
Oxford University Press, 2004 M02 12 - 517 pages
Six months after the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution was all but lost. A powerful British force had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of Philadelphia. Yet, as David Hackett Fischer recounts in this riveting history, George Washington--and many other Americans--refused to let the Revolution die. On Christmas night, as a howling nor'easter struck the Delaware Valley, he led his men across the river and attacked the exhausted Hessian garrison at Trenton, killing or capturing nearly a thousand men. A second battle of Trenton followed within days. The Americans held off a counterattack by Lord Cornwallis's best troops, then were almost trapped by the British force. Under cover of night, Washington's men stole behind the enemy and struck them again, defeating a brigade at Princeton. The British were badly shaken. In twelve weeks of winter fighting, their army suffered severe damage, their hold on New Jersey was broken, and their strategy was ruined. Fischer's richly textured narrative reveals the crucial role of contingency in these events. We see how the campaign unfolded in a sequence of difficult choices by many actors, from generals to civilians, on both sides. While British and German forces remained rigid and hierarchical, Americans evolved an open and flexible system that was fundamental to their success. The startling success of Washington and his compatriots not only saved the faltering American Revolution, but helped to give it new meaning.
 

Contents

Introduction
1
The Rebels
7
The Regulars
31
The Hessians
51
The Plan of the Campaign
66
The Fall of New York
81
The Retreat
115
The Crisis
138
The Bridge
290
Two Councils
308
The Battle at Princeton
324
Aftermath
346
Conclusion
363
Appendices
380
Historiography
425
Bibliography
459

The Occupation
160
The Opportunity
182
The River
206
The March
221
The Surprise
234
Hard Choices
263
Good Ground
277
Abbreviations
487
Notes
488
Sources for Maps
545
Acknowledgments
547
Index
551
Copyright

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About the author (2004)

David Hackett Fischer is University Professor at Brandeis University, and the author of such acclaimed volumes as Albion's Seed, The Great Wave, Paul Revere's Ride and Liberty and Freedom.

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