What are the “Ten Crucial Days?”     

In December 1776, a mere six months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, General George Washington's fledgling American Army and the cause of liberty were on the verge of being extinguished. A disastrous New York campaign that fall had resulted in the loss of more than half of Washington’s troops, as well as the confidence of Congress and his fellow citizens. Retreating through “the Jerseys” with the remnants of his ragtag Continentals, Washington and his soldiers sought refuge on the west bank of the Delaware River, having narrowly escaped King George III's British troops and their Hessian auxiliaries. Doubling as peace commissioners, British General William Howe and his brother, Royal Navy Admiral Sir Richard Howe, reasoned that further bloodshed was unnecessary. They assumed that the rebellious American soldiers—many of whose enlistments were scheduled to expire at year's end—would no longer be able to offer any significant resistance. Settling into winter quarters, General Howe ordered his regiments to set up a string of cantonments posted through the Jerseys.  

George Washington saw something very different... Taking stock of his army’s desperate situation, the rebel commander-in-chief would launch his forces into a series of victorious engagements, of which British historian Sir George Otto Trevelyan later wrote, “It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater and more lasting effects upon the history of the world.” That space of time—December 25, 1776 to January 3, 1777—encompassed “Ten Crucial Days” that changed the course of history.

Do something revolutionary! Experience the “Ten Crucial Days.”

Upcoming Events

Cadwalader Lecture Series Event With Richard Brookhiser

November 6 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Mercer Street 6
Princeton, NJ 08540 United States
$50

The Princeton Battlefield Society invites you to attend: The Cadwalader Lecture Series Featuring Richard Brookhiser Please contact us at outreach.pbs1777@gmail.com if you have questions. var gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(“gform_main_scripts_loaded”,function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”,function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.domLoaded&&gform.scriptsLoaded?o():!gform.domLoaded&&gform.scriptsLoaded?window.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”,o):document.addEventListener(“gform_main_scripts_loaded”,o)},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,n,r,t){gform.addHook(“action”,o,n,r,t)},addFilter:function(o,n,r,t){gform.addHook(“filter”,o,n,r,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(“action”,o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(“filter”,o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,n){gform.removeHook(“action”,o,n)},removeFilter:function(o,n,r){gform.removeHook(“filter”,o,n,r)},addHook:function(o,n,r,t,i){null==gform.hooks[o][n]&&(gform.hooks[o][n]=[]);var e=gform.hooks[o][n];null==i&&(i=n+”_”+e.length),gform.hooks[o][n].push({tag:i,callable:r,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(n,o,r){var t;if(r=Array.prototype.slice.call(r,1),null!=gform.hooks[n][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[n][o]).sort(function(o,n){return o.priority-n.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){“function”!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),”action”==n?t.apply(null,r):r[0]=t.apply(null,r)})),”filter”==n)return…

Veterans Day 2024

November 10
1112 River Road
Washington Crossing, PA 18977 United States

On Monday, November 11, all United States veterans and active-duty military personnel and their families are invited to take a free tour of the Historic Village or Thompson-Neely House &…

Site Closed for Veterans Day

November 11 @ 12:00 am

WCPA Board of Trustees Meeting

November 14 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Open-Hearth Cooking: 17th Century Confectionery

November 17 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
400 Pennsbury Memorial Road
Morrisville, PA 19067 United States

The cooks will revel in the extravagant use of sugar and spices to impress William Penn’s guests. This program is provided free of charge with admission to Pennsbury Manor, which…

November Book Club: Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge

November 18 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
PA United States

In partnership with the Friends of Washington Crossing Park the next meeting of the Washington Crossing Historic Park Book Club is set for Monday, November 18 at 5:30 PM. This meeting…

Senior Trail Stewards Work Day

November 20 @ 8:45 am - 12:30 pm
201 Washington Crossing Pennington Rd
Titusville, NJ United States

We will be assisting Sam and Soledad in cutting out Autumn Olive along the Continental Lane. We hope to see you then! Tools are provided although you’re encouraged to bring…

Festive Still Life Paint & Sip

November 23 @ 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
400 Pennsbury Memorial Road
Morrisville, PA 19067 United States

Still life paintings featuring food were popular in Penn’s time. Enjoy a hot seasonal beverage while learning to paint a 17th century holiday feast! Materials and instruction provided.

Site Closed for Thanksgiving

November 28 @ 12:00 am