Trenton, Battle of

Engagement of the American Revolution, 25–29 December 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. It was one of George Washington's first successes as a revolutionary general.

In a surprise Christmas day attack, Washington and his army crossed the icy Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey. The next day they captured more than 900 British soldiers, and four days later they occupied Trenton. This victory was followed by another at Princeton on 3 January 1777. Although these victories were relatively small, they helped boost morale among American soldiers as well as confidence in Washington as a commander.