Battle of Trenton

1776-12-26

Decisive American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of 26 December 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey, following George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River the previous night. Washington's 2,400 Continentals surprised Hessian auxiliaries, capturing nearly two-thirds of the garrison with minimal American losses. The victory revived the Continental Army's collapsing morale and inspired re-enlistments.