Ironically, this is my favorite "Christmas movie." I like to watch it on Christmas night every year to remember the amazing accomplishment of Washington and the Continental Army.
add me to your list of irony !! For a "made for TV" movie, it's on my "one of the best" list. It was an A & E production, and I ordered the DVD as soon as it became available ( includes a behind the scenes/making of) . Not a Christmas goes by... a much needed reminder of what those true patriots endured. Always remember them, and keep the faith.
God bless you, patriot! Pass that feeling on to your children and grandchildren! (though I'm sure you already have!) Respect, brotherhood, and love from Texas! God help us all in these times, truly our darkest hour.
I think it's also because he knows his history. That most Americans today don't understand of. Which is the part of the reason why they are erasing our history, and don't teach cursive hand writing.
This scene shows that Washington was a great leader. He was no great military tactician by any means. But he pulled off something not even Napoleon would have attempted. The guy had guts as well as his men. This battle changed world history.
Washington was also a man of much prayer; over & over the hand of God played into the success of this nation, from its very beginning. When we forget that we will be doomed. Author Michael Medved has written 1 or more books on the “American Miracle”.
@@emiliarutigliano7991 Like the heavy fog that concealed the retreat from Long Island and the North Wind that kept British ships from sailing up the East River and cutting off that retreat.
@@emiliarutigliano7991, if the 'hand of god' was really a 'thing', we wouldn't be dealing with school shootings and opioids and a wealth gap you could drive Brazil through. (For starters...) It was purely Nature's luck that saved us multiple times, and I'm grateful for it. Still, not the same as a deity picking winners and losers. Medved is a bible-thumper with a very specific goal and viewpoint, and so isn't considered a true historian by...well, true historians. (Not saying the books are irredeemable, just that they are slanted of viewpoint.)
Jeff Daniels was superb in this serious role, just as he was in Gettysburg. An underrated actor too often cast in comedies. His George Washington was excellent!
As David McCullough stated, one of the things that made Washington great is that he never gave up. He could have. Other men likely would have. Washington did not. And he learned from his mistakes. We were very lucky in so many ways.
@Todd Brooks I think you've mistaken me for an A-hole American. I haven't given up, I'm just watching in fascination from above the 49th parallel. We didn't leave the empire on bad terms in the 18th century. We matured for another century and left on good terms with a stable parliamentary system. Plus none of my "founding fathers" owned human beings as chattel. Looking at Australia, New Zealand and Canada I think we're not perfect, but on the whole doing just fine thanks. Way to reinforce the stereotype though....salty.
Its a very rare thing for a man to recognize a flaw and work so hard to correct it. George Washington was the key man in the Revolution; the most indispensable man
My great-great-great-great grandfather was one of the Hessians captured at Trenton at Trenton on December 26, 1776. He then, like many of his compatriots turned-coat and joined Washington.
@@DTk5584 you ever fought ? Ever have some one shooting at you ? Or do you play games and think you know all about war ? Id say no to first two and yes to last one .
@@freddyflintstoned913 The men where not mercenaries .They where in the Hessian army and that is where they where sent and they had no say in it .I think I read some place that they where getting less pay for being over here .
A truly great moment in history: Washington’s brilliant and audacious attack on Trenton changed the course of world history. Gates was referred to by his men as Granny Gates, and you can see here why. If it were not for the Hero of Saratoga, Gen. Arnold, Gates would have lost that battle.
Gates got much of the credit that Arnold felt belonged to him, probably rightly, and Arnold's bitterness over this was one factor in his decision to go over to the British.
@kaczynski S Gates' rich family pockets had more to do with that than anything else, they financed his army if I remember correctly, so he called that card to get credit for Arnold's work. A pity Alex didn't "accidentally" shoot Gates that night, it would've prevented what Arnold did as well as the disastrous Battle of Camden, which Gates ran from.
And not to mention after his so-called victory at Saratoga, they chose him the lead the continental army in the south. His own arrogance thinking his men could meet and defeat the British in the open fields of Camden, SC was his own undoing. Most of them were militia, poorly trained and undisciplined to meet British regulars in the open field. They were also suffering heavily from dysentery and sickness. The last you ever really heard of General Horatio Gates was him cowardly fleeing the battle in front of his men with his staff chasing him 50 yards behind… one of the poorest generals in US History.
Don't forget about Col. T. Kosciuszko's important contributions to the American cause. Without his battle plans, positioning of the continental soldiers and building of fortifications, the continental army would not have stood a chance against the British.
Trenton was an interesting battle. Strategically, it didn't count for much, but hitting their best right where they lived and getting away with it changed the entire dynamic. There's nothing so damaging to an opponent as a good, strong, well placed boot in the balls.
It goes to show you that minor victories CAN determine the course of a war. Wars are fought in the mind as well as on the battlefield, something that Vietnam re-taught us.
It was one of the most important battles in American history. It gave the Continental Army supplies (taken from the Hessians), eliminated hundreds of Hessians (mostly prisoners), and boosted morale, which in turn encouraged the soldiers to reenlist. Without it Washington would have been a general trapped at a river without an army, and the United States would have never become a nation.
"If you keep running from the school yard bully, he keeps on chasing you but the moment you turn around and stop and punch him really hard in a sensitive spot. He’ll think twice about coming back again."
Often overlooked here is that Washington re-crossed the Delaware a few days later and hit the British again at Princeton, getting away with their war chest and making Cornwallis look foolish as he slipped through his fingers and back to his own side of the river once more. The single most important effect of these two battles is that enlistments went back up, and many of the soldiers due to go home on January 1 also re-enlisted so that by springtime, Washington once more had an army.
@southerncajuncharm His only claim to fame was the surrender of Burgoyne and even he didn't do much regarding that. Benedict Arnold should've gotten more credit than he did for that.
The best line in the whole movie: Gen. Knox: 'I don't think Colonel Glover likes me very much, sir...." Washington: 'Why is that, Knox?' Knox: 'He told that being a fat man in an army starving to death was damned near treason....'
During the crossing of the Delaware it is reported that Washington said to Knox, "Move that fat ass, Henry, but slowly or you'll swamp the f^^^^^^ boat." Word travelled up and down the army and the crude humour boosted morale.
The best movie dealing with the Revolutionary War. I doubt that Washington was as well spoken as Daniels but he would have overawed Gates At this moment, For he would have had murder in his eyes,
Starving, tattered troops have much to gain in an attack against a foe that has plenty of provisions. Washington knew this and it was a great intangible quality his troops possessed. A century later many Union generals found out the hard way how ferocious starving troops will press home an attack with the promise of food as a reward.
Or found out that a division that had to miss breakfast due to Union attacks were not fun to fight with. John Bell Hood's men taught the Union that at Antietam.
@Doug Bevins Lincoln respected Lee and vice versa. Why can't you? Washington owned slaves and so did a lot of the founders.The Civil War was fought in Washington's America, we live in Lincoln's America. The rules were different then and when the South lost the rule book was changed permanently for the better.
I really love this scene. This actual meeting in 1776 took place at what is actually called the Summerseat in my hometown of Morrisville Pa. ( Bucks County ).This building is 2 blocks from my house. So proud to live in this Historic area. The battle of Trenton and Princeton were the turning points of the American Revolution.
idk man if inwould call this battle of Trenton the turning point,- its more like George washingtons greatest peril- but the whole war was pretty desperate till the end!
David Morse played a more accurate Washington in "John Adams" but Daniels does great here portraying Washington's determination and iron will and shows how the Revolution managed to survive its mostly disastrous first two years.
I think Morse is very accurate, Washington in his interactions seemed stoic and succinct in his mannerisms. One time someone patted Washington on the shoulder to congratulate him about something, George swung around and stared the man down not saying a word.
Washington was a man of his time and he had his flaws but I have to admire some of his qualities, like him politeness and calmness too. Washington was a great leader no doubt.
@VolDep45 Jefferson and Madison might not have turned down monarch as well, given the context of the time and their belief in the Enlightenment. They, however, would not have walked away as Washington did after two terms. It was that precedent which shamed most others into obeying that simple rule.
@Darius Kang , yeah, and let's get rid of the first and second ammendment, shut down ICE, open the borders, free health care and colleges, 1000 a month in universal basic income for everybody, reparations for slavery, abolish the electoral college, and lower the voting age to 16. Let's make America great again!
I love the way Washington is portrayed here, not as a perfect figure, whitewashed by history, but as a desperate, backed into a corner. Daniels gives a very relatable human quality to Washington. It is a refreshing change from the stuffed-shirt and powdered wig that is the usual depiction of the man in film.
@@johnallen9439 Sir I am 60 years old and I am an educator and I have dealt with your kind of damaged goods for decades. What you need is to check yourself. Try and discover the source of your anger and stop placing the blame on others. The burdens you bear were not delivered from afar. They were intimate. Discover them. Unravel them. Live free.
@@thomaskurnas6582 I don't agree with John Allen, and his language offends me. But not nearly as much as your condescension. Check himself? Check yourself first. You're part of the problem.
Classic scene! I remember viewing this when it first aired on television. I think this particular clip is very well chosen as a means of inspiration, for those of us who know what we are up against in our struggle for the freedom of the human soul. The title of the film, as well as its message, reveals to us that we must all ultimately face that crucial moment of decision, that moment when we must choose to either submit or cross the threshold...with Inner Courage, Spiritual Maturity & Boldness.
This scene gave me goose bumps just to realize how much the odds were against us and how history hung on the balance. Not just at Trenton, but we were facing off against a Global Empire with almost unlimited resources and with the best army in the world at that time.
@@squidgert566 We'll the United States would not be here today if not for what happened during that time. By saying "us" I mean me and every true American who is here today and has The Constitution as our highest law. You may not care about this, but me and a lot of other people do. What happened then affect us today.
@@jdee8407 were you involved in any of it? “Them” is more appropriate, while not downgrading anything they have done to be independent nor the massive help of the French to piss off the Bri’ish. You can admire people and/or your descendants have done without taking any credits for something you have absolutely no hand into.
idk man lots of people have also! alexander the great maybe! ceasar, king harald of Battle of Hastings, patton, Alfred the great, frederick the great, etc…
The British run it ? LOL.. that is awesome and surprising at the same time ..I wasn't sure they would play any Revolutionary War movies as we usually paint them as pretty arrogant and the baddy. It is a great movie though ..:)
@@historygeekslive8243, it does seem a bit odd, but the Brits have a weird love-hate of their own history and culture. Even contemporaneous to the time, there were those IN the British Parliament that wanted to settle with the Americans, and not just because it seemed a waste of resources, but because they genuinely were sympathetic to the cause. Remember, too, that 'we' were the first major loss of their Empire, and I wonder if in some odd way they are almost inversely proud that their truculent offspring grew up so 'big and strong', even if it was a fight to make it happen.
There was one flaw in this movie. There was no blizzard occurring as they re-enacted the crossing of the Delaware. Washington's army had to cross the river, which was clogged with ice, in a blinding blizzard, making the passage dangerous. But the whole army did crossed safely without the loss of a man.
R Hayndr we need true heroes like Washington today honestly. How those lads survived that turmoil, the cold, starving, outnumbered and exhausted, yet they kicked the Hessians asses so bad that they gave up without all that much of a fight. Funny enough, December 26th is my birthday, and funny enough still, I live in New Jersey! Go figure!
Skyrim2018 Wow. your birthday was on Washington's victory at Trenton. Lucky you. 2,000 men left in the American army and they pulled off one of the biggest victories of the Revolution. Next big victory was Princeton. despite lacking supplies, Washington inspired his men not to give up and they kept the revolution alive.
I think Washington himself answers you here skyrim, the 2000 he had left were the ones that had NOT deserted or run. they were the ones that served him and the cause through everything. Proven by the fact that they were sitting in the snow in December in New Jersey, with not enough blankets , food or weapons. Yet the fact that they WERE still there despite all that proves that they were fully capable of pulling off this Military Miracle. I believe Washington understood this. Gates certainly didn't
*R Hayndr* does this movie also have a black man Prince Whipple who held the lantern to help George Washington cross the Delaware safely and in doing so he froze to death still holding the lantern. The history books say he was in the boat but he froze to death bringing General Washington safely to shore.
Jeff Daniels may be the most underrated actor of our generation, His performances as Washington, of which he had several , I believe are the best on film. His roles as union officers in multiple Civil War films are also head and shoulders above.
At Trenton, 3 Crack Hessian regiments under Col. Rall were celebrating Christmas and we're not expecting an attack. Even Col. Rall said "let them come"! "We will go at them with the bayonet"! And these Hessian regiments were known for their ruthless use of the bayonet and we're the most feared troops in King George the 3rd's army. Instead, they were drunk, passed out the whole night, all the way to the morning when the American army took them by suprise, pulling off one of the biggest victories of the war.
The myth that the Hessians were drunk is just that, a myth. Washington's troops marched to Trenton in a Nor'easter, and they were upon the Hessians at Trenton before the Hessians knew they were there. There was also an attack on Trenton earlier that night by another group of Americans, which kept the Hessians on alert all night. They were exhausted when Washington attacked. I highly recommend the book Washington's Crossing. It dispels all the myths of the battle.
You are right. Very few could have been tipsy; if anything, they were worn out by the frequent alarms (in frigid weather) and unscheduled patrols they'd been subjected to for the 3-4 days prior to the battle. One such patrol unwittingly turned back just 1/4 mile short of being able to spot Washington's leading elements headed toward the town! Rall had requested permission to fortify key points in and near Trenton, which could have made his position more secure and helped to reduce the operational tempo, but he was refused permission to do so ("unnecessary before this enemy, and in any event damaging to the Hessian reputation").
If I am not mistaken the Hessian were caught in the early morning, hungover, unprepared, and many died in their long johns. In other words they never rallied to a fighting position which was in fact their distinct advantage. In the mindset of the time what Washington did was borderline unethical and to the British sensibility "barbarous". As to the Hessian, they were mercenaries in the sense that they were hired to fight. The fact that they were "pawns" of German princes that rented them out to the British doesn't change the fact that they were hired
@Nathaniel Lionheart they sure was they raped and tortured American civilians nothing but savages but many did fight for Washington after Trenton all so look up look up the black robe regiment nothing but southern Christian priests btw considered they best regiment is the southern colonies
I've heard this story many times, I think this is the first time I realized that not only did we cross a frozen river on Christmas to kill the Hessians in their sleep, it was the first time our army had actually taken the fight to the enemy. An audacious attack to start with. My memory neither confirms nor denies this right now, but I'll have to read up on the early history of the war.
General Ghates spent the entire war trying to undermine Washington. If he had taken command of the Continental Army, there would be no United States as we know it. He was a failed ex-British Army Officer looking to feather his own nest in glory and recognition. Wrongfully credited with the victory at Saratoga and ultimately blamed for the defeat at Camden I believe he would have eventually capitulated and surrendered the Continental Army to the British and sued for peace leaving America's future to the hands of the British.
Well, they are all pretty much higher ranking officers. It's not like this is right after a battle and they just came in from fighting in mud. People DID wash clothes back then.
Miserable, yes, but I was told by a former park ranger there that the snow was seldom more than ankle-deep. He learned quickly that this was something the public did not want to hear!
David Parry, I just recently went down to Baltimore and visited Fort Mchenry, where Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem. Even though it was a different war I would not have wanted to be the men on that Fort when the British were bombing them. It was freezing and the wind was brutal during the time I was there. Can only imagine what Valley Forge would have been like in the dead of winter further up north.
The issue at Valley Forge wasn't the snow. It did snow there during the encampment, quite often...in fact, the army marched in during a snowstorm. But, as anybody who lives in SE PA will tell you, the winters in this region are not bad because of snow, rather, it is because of the swings in temperature. During February and March in particular, it is not uncommon for SE PA to get 12 inches of snow, and two days later have the temperatures reach 60 degrees. During the 18th century, when roads were rough on a good day, and when sanitation was about the same, you can understand what it must have been like to not only try to get supplies to an encampment whose roads are easily 20 inches deep with mud, or to try to maintain sanitary conditions when the latrines froze, thawed, froze, then thawed again in a matter of 48 hours. Many of the European officers who were at Valley Forge during 1777/78 sent letters home and to their aides complaining of the awful weather conditions: snow or freezing rain for a week, followed by 2 days of temperatures in the high 50s, followed by 2 days of heavy rain downpours...Animal carcasses, which weren't buried deep enough to begin with, would literally rise to the surface of the mud smelling horribly and attracting all kinds of vermin...Poorly placed latrines would overflow into the camp water supplies, the air was filled with the waste of thousands of soldiers. It was a petri dish for diseases like dysentery, small pox, typhus, etc. And unfortunately those diseases struck with a vengeance. In 6 months time nearly 2500 soldiers of the Continental Army died, mostly from disease, and thousands more would become ill. There are small cemeteries throughout the region with a dozen, or twenty, or fifty soldiers buried who became ill at VF and were removed to both keep the diseases from spreading and keep the morale of the men up as much as possible. It was in every way a perfect storm, but the men who marched out of the encampment had gone through hell, and they were the toughest of the lot. It was a crucible in every sense of the word, but that horrible winter created an army that could stand toe to toe with the British, and would just a few weeks later at Monmouth.
Any good strategist knows you don't have to win an insurgency against an occupying force. You just have to not lose it. Giap knew, Washington knew it. Hell, every flea bitten Afghani tribal chief knows it. You don't need money or technology. You just need the will and patience to bleed along with your enemy until his resolve waivers.
Incidentally if Gates died at Saratoga, command would’ve fallen to his second-in-command, Benedict Arnold. This in turn would’ve rendered any possible betrayal from Arnold moot at the Congress would have been forced to acknowledge him and may have prevented him from being trapped in New York. Tl;dr the nation’s first Secretary of War could very well have been Benedict Arnold.
Stop voting for businessmen and vote for veterans. Eisenhower was the last great President, for a reason. Men like Trump and Biden have no self discipline and cower at the very moment when bravery, courage and sacrifice are needed. The People play follow the leader, and America has been following cowards since the day JFK was murdered by Allen Dulles.
Often, the most successful character actors have more genuine talent than the movie stars they support. One of the reasons Jeff Daniels is so good is that he's A GREAT CHARACTER ACTOR whose acting TALENT elevated him to stardom. His greatest gift is soliloquy. Give him a long speech in a pivotable scene and he ALWAYS knocks it out of the park. I recommend you watch the RU-vid videos, "The Most Honest Three Minutes In Television History" and "Colonel Joshua Chamberlain Speech" as examples of his gift.
What made Washington so... unique... compared to pretty much every American general in history was an unrelenting vision and perseverance. No other general had such high quality in both. I am not saying he was a 'perfect' general. As tactician some of the other generals in the war on both sides were better. However he understood his role as the top commander much better than any other American general in history.
My ancestor, Theophilus Clarke, crossed the Delaware and fought at Trenton and wintered at Valley Forge. Crossing the Delaware saved the war. Remarkable.
Actually, Washington and Gates met alone that night. When Washington understood that Gates’ presence would only undermine troop morale, he ordered the general out of camp. Two of Washington's soldiers froze to death on the march to Trenton and 6 were wounded in the action, so there were casualties. Alexander Hamilton was not part of the attack on Trenton, a young James Monroe was. Movies like this are dramatizations of events and should not be relied upon for historical accuracy.
@@rwesser1 You are correct, Hamilton's performances at Trenton and Princeton gained him the notoriety he desired. I should have said Hamilton was not yet on Washington's staff.
I know its easy from a modern point of view to see the wisdom in Washington's plan but the way Jeff Daniel's said "if I, a bumbling Virginia farmer should decide to lead them into hell they will follow me into hell" just speaks to me. If I were in Washington's army I absolutely would have followed him into hell
The Americans involved in the revolution got virtually backed into a corner by the British if you ask me. That made their abilities more difficult to predict, as they had virtually nothing to lose, it was either do this, or die trying.
Always impressive what Washington accomplished with what he had. And he understood the assignment - he didn't need to actually defeat the British, he just needed to keep his army alive and intact long enough for the British to get sick of the war... break the hammer.
What made Washington so unique... compared to pretty much every American general in history was an unrelenting vision and perseverance. No other general had such high quality in both.
He cost the Americans multiple engagements. He was brought up through the British Army. He thought he could use the conventional tactics he knew against the well trained battle hardened redcoats.
The confrontation is overstated, probably for dramatic reasons. The Gates of history thought most of these things but tended to rely on cronies to spread gossip that Washington was not fit for command - for example, the Conway cabal.
There wasn't any dressing down. Had there been Gates would have almost certainly faced a court martial with that many senior officers present as witnesses.
That depends a lot, I think, on where you live. My kid graduated in 2023 from high school, and even though they were technically teaching 'new history', he actually did learn a TON about our history. (I'm a geek for it, so I wa always following his homework in those classes.) It's tricky, I think, because the school year is no longer than when I went to school, but there is thirty+ years more of history (and a lot of THAT was important), plus what they teach and how they teach it has changed. In my kid's case, for the better, but again...depends where you live I imagine.
Adams was a loud, fiery patriot who, having seen independence achieved, set about the pragmatic business of constructing a government. Jefferson was a quiet patriot who always focused in principle. Both were needed.
Historians have always been puzzled how Jefferson could lose his zeal to end slavery. He was so committed to it during the Declaration of Independence debate. Personally I have always thought the loss of his wife changed him.
4:37 Im not defending Gates's apparant cowardice, but if that kind of credentializing and tactical respect is coming from a former officer of one of the best armies of the time, that is some credibility you should seriously consider when planning an attack *or* defense.
