War
IS A DIFFICULT
PILL TO SWALLOW
BUT REMEMBRANCE BRINGS US HOPE AND
WISDOM. GENEROUS PORTIONS OF OUR
AMERICAN HERITAGE COME FROM THE BAT-
TLES WE’VE FOUGHT TOGETHER, AND IN
THE PLACES THAT WE LAY AT REST WITH
ONE ANOTHER.
A look into the battlefields and burial grounds of two very important sites that tipped the
scales in our favor during the American Revolutionary War will help us to understand the
significance of honoring their sacrifices.
The decisions that were made, the lives that were lost, and the history that lives on through
these monuments and cemeteries, churches and homes, will be what reminds us of what
we fought for and what to do (and not do) in the future. Take a walk through the battlefield
of Trenton, where a surprise attack put one foot back on the ground for Patriots. Or, visit the
Nelson House in Yorktown, where Lt. General Cornwallis stayed during the final battle that
provoked a British surrender. Take in the American Revolutionary War culture, and celebrate
the value of general remembrance.
TRENTON,
NEW JERSEY
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The Battle of Trenton was a small, but mighty battle that took place during
the American Revolutionary War. The battle began on the morning of the
26 th of December, in the year of 1776. The timing of the battle during the
war was what made it so influential. George Washington crossed the
Delaware River the night before and led the Continental Army to the battle-
field in Trenton, where they fought the Hessian soldiers. The Hessians were
German soldiers that were contracted by the British to fight for them in the
American Revolutionary War. The British hired nearly 30,000 German sol-
diers, which made up a quarter of the British Troops that fought against the
Continental Army.
The Continental Army had been fighting an uphill battle – literally – and had
been forced to retreat from New York to New Jersey and even Pennsylva-
nia. Because of Washington’s plan to cross the river overnight, the Conti-
nental Army was able to surprise and capture the Hessian soldiers that were
waiting for them in Trenton. Although the battle was bloody, it was brief, and
with nearly the entire Hessian force being captured, the Battle of Trenton
was considered a huge victory. The timing of this battle was pivotal, because
after so many defeats, a victory this swift boosted the Continental Army’s
morale, thus causing an increase in enlistments. The Battle of Trenton cost
us some soldiers, no doubt, but we gained so many more from its outcome.
“We must all hang together, or assuredly
we shall all hang separately.”
- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN