The Fighting Spirit of 1776
In New York City on the same day that the Continental Congress was busy voting on their Declaration
of Independence, the British—led by General Howe, were landing 32,000 men on Staten Island (a
small farming community outside of New York City). Defending the city were General Washington's
Continental Army, made up of 19,000 (mostly untrained) volunteers. Washington knew he did not
have a chance, outnumbered and outgunned. However, Congress needed this win. A loss of New
York City would separate New England from the rest of the colonies, which is exactly why Howe was
there. Washington decided to make his stand at Brooklyn Heights on Long Island. As General Howe
made his way down Long Island, British warships were pounding Brooklyn Heights. The Americans
had to win this battle because they were trapped with the East River behind them and General Howe
ahead. Howe's plan was simple: capture New York City, destroy Washington's Army and the whole
rebellion was crushed. Washington may have been inexperienced but he wasn't stupid. He knew that
his men had little chance of beating the British in open formation combat
However, Washington had a secret weapon— luck. Howe was known for being cautious and did not
attack right away. Instead, he waited to see what his enemy would do. This delay allowed a huge
rainstorm to blow in, which further delaying Howe's attack. Using the storm for cover, Washington and
6,000 men retreated across the East River using any boats they could find. General Howe now held
New York City, which remained in British hands throughout the war. After crossing into New Jersey,
Washington caught another stroke of luck that would prove important to the Patriot cause. A band of
Hessian mercenaries (from the German region of Hesse, hence the name) were camped nearby at
Trenton, N.J. Washington happened to stumble across them on Christmas Day and immediately
began drawing up plans for a surprise attack.
Washington, a master at using deception, used spies to win battles. The Battle of Trenton is a perfect
example. Washington recruited the services of a former British soldier turned Patriot by the name of
John Honeyman to put on a little show for the Germans. Honeyman's mission was simple: get
arrested by Washington's army and then escape to the German camp where he would sow
disinformation to the enemy. Washington wanted to make the act look as real as possible, so he even
had his guards fire at an escaping Honeyman. Once at the German camp, Honeyman told stories of
how the Americans were hopelessly unprepared and near collapse. Delighted the German
commander Johann Rall told his men to relax and celebrate the Christmas holiday. Little did they
know that Honeyman was secretly sending back messages of details of the enemy camp, troop
positions, and ammunition stores.
Hung over from too much Christmas partying, the Hessians were completely caught unprepared for
Washington's Christmas Day attack. Under cover of darkness in the early morning hours of
December 25, 1776, Washington crossed the icy Delaware River with 2,400 men shocking the
Hessians who had been partying all night. Out of 1,500 Hessian soldiers, only 500 made it out alive.
The Americans lost only six of their soldiers. The victory at the Battle of Trenton was a rare event for
the Patriots. Most of the battles with the British found the Americans on the losing side.
The biggest battle that Patriot leaders like George Washington faced was not the British, but keeping
their own soldiers from walking out. Few Americans believed that the disorganized and poorly
supplied Continental Army stood a chance of beating the British. The British had won most of the
battles that mattered and were in control of nearly all of the colonial cities. The British army was wellsupplied and professionally trained. The Americans were the exact opposite. George Washington
struggled to figure out a way to keep men from deserting. At his winter camp in Morristown, NJ, most
soldiers left the army after their enlistment had expired; only 1,000 soldiers stayed on. 1776 might
have started off looking hopeful for the Americans but things were about to go from desperate to
disaster. On December 31st, most of the Continental Army’s enlistment was up and many of the
exhausted and poorly fed soldiers weren’t planning on making the mistake of signing up for a second
tour of duty.
The Fighting Spirit of 1776 DYGI?
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Compare the British Army and the Continental Army in the battle over New York.
Why did the Second Continental Congress need the victory in New York?
What was Howe’s plan to capture New York?
How did Washington’s luck allow them to escape to New Jersey?
What did Washington decide to do once he saw who occupied Trenton, NJ?
What roll did the little known spy, John Honeyman play in the Christmas Day attack of the
Hessians?
7. Why were the Hessians unprepared for the attack?
8. How many men did Washington cross over the Delaware River before dawn?
9. Were the Hessian soldiers outnumbered? Prove it.
10. What were the casualties (dead and wounded) for both sides?
11. What were actually Patriot leaders biggest battles during the war? Why?
12. What was the biggest issue at the end of 1776?