George Washington

Recorded sideUnited States (Continental Army)

Recorded resultDecisive victory

American victory

Washington's night crossing of the ice-choked Delaware and a dawn assault in a snowstorm achieved total surprise against a garrison recovering from Christmas; two columns (one under Greene) enveloped the town before the Hessians could form.

What followed

The victory revived the collapsing American cause, re-energized enlistments, and restored faith in Washington after a string of defeats.

Recorded sideUnited States and France

Recorded resultDecisive Franco-American victory

British army surrenders; effective end of major combat operations

Admiral de Grasse's French fleet defeated the Royal Navy at the Battle of the Chesapeake (5 Sept 1781), sealing the bay and denying Cornwallis any seaborne rescue or escape. Spanish support was pivotal indirectly: Bernardo de Galvez's Gulf campaign tied down British forces, and Spanish funds raised in Havana helped finance de Grasse's fleet. With the sea closed, a textbook Franco-American siege reduced the British works.

What followed

The loss of a second British field army broke London's will to continue the war and led directly to peace negotiations and American independence.