WEBVTT - Christmas, 1776

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<v Speaker 1>And we continue with our American stories and more of

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<v Speaker 1>our Christmas storytelling, which we're doing all month long. It's

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<v Speaker 1>called the First American Christmas because the Declaration of Independence

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<v Speaker 1>was created the previous summer, essentially divorcing America from England

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<v Speaker 1>and declaring our country as an independent nation. Here is

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<v Speaker 1>the story of Christmas seventeen seventy six.

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<v Speaker 2>My name is Brian Benjamin. I recently wrote a children's

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<v Speaker 2>book entitled Christmas seventeen seventy six that I'll be reading

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<v Speaker 2>for you today. It covers the Revolutionary War and follows

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<v Speaker 2>George Washington and the Continental Army in the late months

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<v Speaker 2>of seventeen seventy six as they were fighting and mostly

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<v Speaker 2>losing to the British for American independence. It of course

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<v Speaker 2>culminated in the famous crossing of the Delaware River on

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<v Speaker 2>Christmas Night seventeen seventy six. This book, I was actually

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<v Speaker 2>reading a biography of George Washington, and I got to

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<v Speaker 2>the part where the Continental Army is in Pennsylvania, Christmas

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<v Speaker 2>is approaching and the war is looking really bleak, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know they planned the crossing of the Delaware River.

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<v Speaker 2>The two things that struck me were one I didn't

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<v Speaker 2>realize how bleak the picture was for the Americans. At

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<v Speaker 2>this point during the war. We were really getting kicked

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<v Speaker 2>around by the British, and heading into that winter of

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<v Speaker 2>seventeen seventy six, the cause of American independence did not

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<v Speaker 2>look well. And the other thing that struck me was

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<v Speaker 2>how history really turned on a dime with this attack.

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<v Speaker 2>But this really saved America's cause, and so I tried

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<v Speaker 2>to put that in the book. You know, it is

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<v Speaker 2>a children's books, but I had to get across both

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<v Speaker 2>the America was an underdog and it was not looking good,

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<v Speaker 2>and also that contingency of things could have gone different

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<v Speaker 2>in their cases where America doesn't come through this. But

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<v Speaker 2>with the brave actions of these men, led by George Washington,

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<v Speaker 2>they saved American independence starting on Christmas night, so without

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<v Speaker 2>further ado, Christmas seventeen seventy six, the year was seventeen

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<v Speaker 2>seventy six, America faced a crisis to fix British taxation

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<v Speaker 2>without representation angered Americans of every station. They sought the

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<v Speaker 2>freedom to make their own laws, the right to liberty

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<v Speaker 2>their sacred cause. American patriots took up their arms, they

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<v Speaker 2>left their homes, their shops their farms. These farm boys

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<v Speaker 2>had grit, but little training. The experience they lacked they

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<v Speaker 2>would soon be gaining. General George Washington would lead them

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<v Speaker 2>to fight Britain's oppressive imperial might. George Washington was an

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<v Speaker 2>American born and bred, taller than most men by a head.

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<v Speaker 2>With six brothers three sisters, he grew up strong. The

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<v Speaker 2>start of his adventures did not take long. He fought

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<v Speaker 2>in the French and Indian War, and by the end

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<v Speaker 2>he'd entered American loar. When the Revolutionary War broke out,

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<v Speaker 2>America needed a leader, no one could doubt. They turned

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<v Speaker 2>to their only living legend. Barely another name was mentioned.

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<v Speaker 2>George Washington would lead them in this war to take

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<v Speaker 2>on all the British had in store. They'd face British regulars,

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<v Speaker 2>skillfully taught, perfectly disciplined. Before they fought, the Brits had

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<v Speaker 2>a few other friends. They'd brought some German soldiers whose

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<v Speaker 2>support they'd bought, and all these troops would cross the

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<v Speaker 2>sea aboard the world's best navy. General Washington and his

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<v Speaker 2>now army prepared to defend New York City. This coveted

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<v Speaker 2>crown jewel of the colonies stood especially vulnerable to attack

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<v Speaker 2>by sea. The Americans worked to fortify their shore before

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<v Speaker 2>the Brits arrived to kick off the war. The British

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<v Speaker 2>came with one hundred ships or more and three times

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<v Speaker 2>the men, or maybe four. The Americans tried to stand

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<v Speaker 2>their ground, but the bridge showed up and beat them

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<v Speaker 2>sound from Long Island. They were displaced from Manhattan. They

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<v Speaker 2>were quickly chased from the banks of the Hudson. They

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<v Speaker 2>were erased and into New Jersey. They ran, disgraced to

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<v Speaker 2>the Delaware River. They anxiously fled. They crossed to safety,

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<v Speaker 2>but were filled with dread. The war was less than

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<v Speaker 2>two years old and the Americans were stranded in the cold.

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<v Speaker 2>Their greatest city conquered, lost their treasury, white doubt by

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<v Speaker 2>the cost, many Americans began to doubt and feared they

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<v Speaker 2>faced a certain route. The Brits pursued all the way

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<v Speaker 2>to the river, then looked across and saw their enemies shiver.

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<v Speaker 2>With winter coming December. Here, the Redcoats felt they'd had

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<v Speaker 2>a good year. They retreated to conquered Nyc, to warm

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<v Speaker 2>beds and Tory hospitality. They left behind their German dogs

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<v Speaker 2>of war to guard the Delawares Jersey shore. With American

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<v Speaker 2>hopes plainly fading and British troops relaxing celebrating, Washington knew

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<v Speaker 2>he must take bold action for the revolution to regain

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<v Speaker 2>some traction. He gathered his men to plan and plot

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<v Speaker 2>how to grab the victory they so desperately sought. They

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<v Speaker 2>decided on a holy night to begin their brave and

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<v Speaker 2>noble fight. On Christmas night, they would embark and cross

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<v Speaker 2>the river in the dark, then march ten miles to

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<v Speaker 2>surprise their foes, and arrived to attack just as the

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<v Speaker 2>sun rose. Awaiting their final orders, the men held their breath.

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<v Speaker 2>George Washington stated gravely, victory or death. With the plan

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<v Speaker 2>all set now just to wait. They must keep the

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<v Speaker 2>plan a secret and their heads on straight. They braved

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<v Speaker 2>a tense Christmas Eve and mourn, then approached the ships

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<v Speaker 2>on which they'd be borne. In a light rain. General

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<v Speaker 2>Washington crossed first. The river was choppy with ice interspersed.

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<v Speaker 2>When the sun fell on that Christmas day, the weather

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<v Speaker 2>turned and their plan gave way in an army with

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<v Speaker 2>men of every station, twas the fishermen that rose to

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<v Speaker 2>this occasion. These expert sailors guided boat after boat across

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<v Speaker 2>nature's deadly makeshift mote. The rain had shifted to snow

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<v Speaker 2>and hail, but these brave men refused to fail. They

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<v Speaker 2>moved twenty four hundred men across, and not a single

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<v Speaker 2>soul was lost. But the vicious weather had another cost.

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<v Speaker 2>Three hours against the plan were lost. Finally, by four am,

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<v Speaker 2>their march began, and they braved the elements to a man,

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<v Speaker 2>They marched ten miles in hail and snow to meet

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<v Speaker 2>their skilled and rested foe. They arrived well after the

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<v Speaker 2>morning sun, not sure if by their lateness they'd been undone,

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<v Speaker 2>these brave men charged from the woods at a run,

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<v Speaker 2>and the German mercenaries were simply stunned. How could an

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<v Speaker 2>army arrive ready to fight after the terrible weather of

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<v Speaker 2>the previous night. General Washington led from the front on

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<v Speaker 2>horseback and rebuffed every German counter attack. American cannons fired

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<v Speaker 2>with precision, guided by Alexander Hamilton, they raced through the town,

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<v Speaker 2>took prisoners galore. They shocked the mercenaries pressing for more.

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<v Speaker 2>The Germans lost almost one thousand men, the Americans lost

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<v Speaker 2>less than ten. After battling the weather all through the night,

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<v Speaker 2>it took less than an hour to finish the fight.

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<v Speaker 2>The next ten days were a complete whirlwind. They crossed

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<v Speaker 2>the river back and again, first to deposit their prisoners

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<v Speaker 2>in booty, then returning to continue their tour of duty.

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<v Speaker 2>They stimied a British assault at Trenton, then launched a

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<v Speaker 2>surprise attack at Princeton. At Princeton, the fame British regulars

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<v Speaker 2>were beat and the world was astounded by this colonial feat.

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<v Speaker 2>In the space of ten days, they'd secured two victories.

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<v Speaker 2>In the space of ten days, they'd changed the course

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<v Speaker 2>of history. On Christmas Eve, the American cause had been dead,

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<v Speaker 2>but now Britain was back on its heels instead. The

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<v Speaker 2>morale of the troops and colonists soared. They again believed

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<v Speaker 2>in what they were marching toward, towards life, liberty, and

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<v Speaker 2>the pursuit of happiness, to secure their rights and to

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<v Speaker 2>crush British haughtiness. America's birth was never a certainty, but

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<v Speaker 2>it was filled with men that would fight for it fervently.

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<v Speaker 2>These brave men volunteered to fight and die, not knowing

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<v Speaker 2>what their sacrifices might buy. But we know the eventual

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<v Speaker 2>success of their plan and the day America's future began,

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<v Speaker 2>the day their deeds left the world transfixed Christmas seventeen

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<v Speaker 2>seventy six, and.

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<v Speaker 1>A terrific job on the production and editing by our

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<v Speaker 1>own Craig Hangler, and a special thanks to Brian Benjamin.

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<v Speaker 1>His beautifully illustrated book Christmas seventeen seventy six is available

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<v Speaker 1>wherever you buy your books, head over to Amazon or

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<v Speaker 1>the usual suspects. And what a story he tells, and

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<v Speaker 1>what a great way to share it with a child

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<v Speaker 1>or a grandchild. And we try to tell every kind

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<v Speaker 1>of story, but also in every kind of way. And

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<v Speaker 1>my goodness to hear the Battle of Christmas seventeen seventy

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<v Speaker 1>six reduced to rhyming poem. Well, it's just spectacular. The

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<v Speaker 1>story of Christmas seventeen seventy six as told in rhyming

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<v Speaker 1>verse by Brian Benjamin. Here on our American Stories