Little is known about George Washington’s father, Augustine. He died when his son was 11. One thing that is known is he asked his son why he chopped down a cherry tree. It turns out we don’t even know that. The cherry tree story was first chronicled in a Read more…
Here’s the story I used to tell my students. Washington’s attack on Trenton should not have come as a surprise. The vaunted Hessians should have been prepared and should have easily defeated the daring risk that Washington took. If he had been defeated, morale would have plummeted and all Read more…
If I may get personal here, the Battle of Trenton occurred 244 years ago today. It is one of my favorite battles. Hell, I named my son after it. It is an example of what drew me to History and the teaching of it. The tale is stranger than fiction. Read more…
In December, 1776 the Continental Army was coming off a series of bad defeats. It had lost New York City and retreated across New Jersey to seek refuge in Pennsylvania. The army barely got across the Delaware River with the British in hot pursuit. Then both armies settled down for Read more…