Patriot morale was boosted from "summary" of Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
In that dark December, the American cause was at its lowest ebb. The rebel army had been driven from New York, across New Jersey, and into Pennsylvania. The British were closing in fast. The future of the young republic seemed uncertain. Despair hung over the land like a heavy shroud. Then, in a stroke of audacity and brilliance, General George Washington led his ragtag army in a daring nighttime crossing of the ice-choked Delaware River. It was a gamble of the highest order, a desperate throw of the dice in the face of overwhelming odds. But Washington knew that the moment called for bold action, for a daring stroke that would shake the enemy and hearten his own men. The crossing was a success. The Americans landed on the Jersey shore, cold and hungry but resolute. And in the days that followed, they struck back with a vengeance. At Trenton, they surprised and defeated a Hessian garrison, taking nearly a thousand prisoners. It was a stunning victory, a much-needed boost to the spirits of the beleaguered patriots. News of the triumph spread like wildfire through the colonies. Suddenly, the tide seemed to be turning. The Americans had struck a blow for freedom, for independence, for the cause of liberty. And though many more trials and tribulations lay ahead, the victory at Trenton had shown that the rebels were not beaten yet. They still had fight in them, still had the will to resist, still had the courage to face down the mightiest empire on earth. And so, in the wake of the crossing and the victory at Trenton, a change came over the land. The people, who had been so despondent, so full of doubt and fear, now felt a surge of hope, of pride, of determination. The patriots had shown that they could stand up to the British, that they could fight and win against all odds. And in that moment, their morale was indeed boosted, their spirits lifted, their resolve hardened. They had crossed the river, they had won a great victory, and they knew that they could do it again.
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