The First U.S. Army Christmas: Washington and the Hessians

The popular story of George Washington's Christmas attack on Trenton portrays a surprise assault on drunken Hessian mercenaries, leading to a pivotal victory. However, this common narrative contains numerous historical inaccuracies that obscure the reality of the event. The German-speaking troops were not true mercenaries but subsidy troops from various states, sent as part of long-standing security and financial agreements between their rulers and Great Britain. These soldiers were not exceptionally brutal compared to other forces, nor is there evidence they were drunk from Christmas celebrations during the battle. By correcting these myths, a more accurate understanding of the American Revolutionary War and the nature of Washington's strategic success emerges.