Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Founding Fathers Pt5: The Christmas Miracle

Episode Date: July 2, 2026

Pummeled in New York, George Washington’s army is on the brink of collapse. But when given the chance for a knockout blow, the British pull their punch. It’s a decision they will regret. A fortuitous change in the weather allows the Continental Army to escape and regroup. Benjamin Franklin heads to France on a crucial mission that could turn the tide of the war. And, in a sleepy village in New Jersey, American soldiers are about to pull off a miracle… A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Clarke Peters. Featuring Carol Berkin, Krysten Blackstone, Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Jim Philbrick, Alan Taylor. Written and produced by Edward White | Series Producer: Ed Baranski | Executive Producer: Joel Duddell | Assistant Producer: Luke Lonergan | Head of Production: Natalie Brook-Reynolds | Script Consultant: Peter Kastor | Sound Supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly editing by Tony Onuchukwu | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering by Josh Latham. Recording Engineer: Gerry O’Riordan at The Soundhouse Studios. Get every episode of Founding Fathers: An American Dream two weeks early and ad-free by joining Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's December 26th, 1776. At 7.30 a.m., the village of Trenton, New Jersey, is asleep. It's been a white Christmas. Outside snow lies on the ground. Only stray cats walk the empty streets. Inside a house in the center of the village, a middle-aged man snores, covered by warm layers of blankets. He's lost to the world. Perhaps he's dreaming of Christmas back home in Germany. The man is Colonel Johann Rao,

commanding officer of 1,400 Hessians, German soldiers fighting on behalf of the British crown against the Continental Army. The last few months have been a tremendous success for the British and their German allies. Battle after battle, skirmish after skirmish, they have bested the Americans. George Washington's army is on its last.

last legs. Now, winter is here. Rawl is garrisoned with his men in Trenton. Washington and several thousand American soldiers are camped just a few miles away. The Hessians have a fearsome reputation in battle. They're professional, too. Despite rumors, the Hessians have not spent Christmas drinking themselves stupid. But maybe they're a little complacent. Colonel Raul certainly has a very low opinion of the enemy. Over the last few days, he's ignored warnings that Washington is planning something.

Not in this weather, he thinks. Not with the rabble the Americans call their army. Big mistake. Rawl wakes with a violent start. A young officer shakes him by the shoulder. It's an emergency. Trenton is being attacked.

Colonel Raul leaped from his bed. grabs his clothes and runs downstairs. Outside, he can barely believe his eyes. Trenton is a battlefield. 2,000 American soldiers are charging through the streets. They're kicking down doors, firing guns, taking hostages left, right and center. Raul rushes to a nearby stable.

He mounts his horse and rides to a local orchard. There, he organizes a group of soldiers and plans a counterattack. Rawl and his men swing into action. They charge towards the Americans. But within moments, Raul is shot. Once, twice. He slumps in his saddle. All around him, Heshen soldiers are losing the fight.

Only 22 are killed, but 900 are captured. Mortally wounded, Colonel Raul falls to the ground. The Continental Army is not dead and buried. The United States of America has a future after all. I'm Clark Peters and from the Noiser Podcast Network. This is part five of Founding Fathers, an American Dream. Our previous episode ended in the summer of 1776. On July 4th, the Continental Congress shook the world with the Declaration of Independence.

Eight days later, Washington watched aghast as two British warships terrorized New York City. Simultaneously, Admiral Richard Howe, the commander of the British Navy, arrived with reinforcements for a growing army based on Staten Island. Over the coming weeks, more soldiers arrive. 32,000 of them by August. Roughly a quarter are Hessians. This giant British army is led by Admiral Howe's brother, General William Howe. Between them, the siblings command an awesome military force.

The Continental Army looks doomed. Professor Andrew Oshonisey. And the British Army was really very professional, despite the commission system, despite the dominance of aristocrats. The officers, most of them had been in the army since their early teens. It was a sort of lifelong profession, and they took it seriously. The Howe brothers, who the commanders at the beginning, were regarded as the best military talent in Britain. They imagined just the very announcement of these names would petrify Americans.

and Lord George Germain, the Secretary of State for the colonnets in Britain, the strategy he wanted them to pursue as one big knockout blow in New York. And that nearly happens in what's known as the Battle of Brooklyn. In the 18th century, New York City is confined to the southern tip of Manhattan Island. From his headquarters here,

George Washington looks through his telescope. His view is the New York Bay. To the southwest is Staten Island, where the British soldiers have amassed. To the southeast is Brooklyn on Long Island. Here, Washington has constructed considerable defenses, forts, trenches, guarded passes. There are defensive obstacles, too, such as fallen trees with sharpened branches. Manning these are around 9,000 American soldiers. Washington has a total of 23,000 men at his disposal.

though many are novices from militias. Most remain in Manhattan. He divides his troops in this way because he's unsure where the British will strike. If he makes the wrong call, it could be disastrous. Should the British take New York City, they could isolate New England from the rest of America. Washington knows the stakes. Dr. Kristen Blackstone I think he had a real understanding that by 1776, particularly after independence is declared,

the Continental Army is the face of and the defender of the Revolution of Independence. If the Continental Army ceases to exist, then revolutionary hopes really diminish. He did also, as many officers in the Continental Army did, truly believe in the Revolution. He didn't become Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army just because he wanted personal glory. And so there is kind of a personal weight of responsibility, but also a much larger ideological cause that he is fighting for. In Toronto, every arrival is a statement, and nothing says it better than this.

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Just style you love and quality you can trust. Visit wayfair.ca. Wayfair, every style, every home. Washington awaits the enemy's next move. Meanwhile, the Howell brothers meet with a delegation from the Continental Congress. First, they make an offer of reconciliation. They pledge amnesty for the rebels, if the colonies agree to put down their weapons. But their diplomacy is swiftly rebuffed.

American independence has already been declared. There's no turning back now. So, on August the 22nd, the British Armourable, swarms across the water. 20,000 soldiers land on Long Island. Four days later, August 26th, they go on the attack. As night falls, British troops split into three groups.

Two of them rush ahead, engaging the American's first line of defense. A third, much larger group, follows. Their mission is to exploit an American weakness. General Howell has learned a valuable secret. Howe hears from a loyalist in New York that Washington has essentially left a crossing, a road clear that will allow the British Army if they can get there without Washington noticing

to outflank them, to come up from behind and surprise them. And this is exactly what happens. It's called the Jamaica Pass. And so as Washington is fighting the British Army on one front, a huge number of thousands of British soldiers come up and outflank him. It's a master stroke. The bulk of Howe's army slips past the Americans. At 9 a.m., General Howe announces his presence.

He orders a volley of gunfire at the Americans' rear. It's only now that Washington's commanders realize what has happened. Behind them are 10,000 British troops. Right now, George Washington is being rowed from Manhattan to Long Island. When he arrives, Washington clambers up the American fortifications at Brooklyn Heights. From there, he sees the awful reality. His men are hemmed in, routed by guns and bayonets. Inexperienced American soldiers are lost in panic.

The bloodshed is horrific. Some soldiers will later say that Washington rode among them, urging them to fight on, But he's powerless to prevent the slaughter. A chaotic retreat ensues. Eventually, they reached the safety of American defenses in Brooklyn. The Continental Army has suffered huge casualties. A thousand killed or wounded. Another thousand taken prisoner.

With Britain's vast numerical advantage, the American army is on the brink of annihilation. Washington waits for the next British surge, but nothing happens. Afternoon shifts to evening, then night descends. Still nothing. General Howe decides against pushing for a decisive victory. Why will be debated for centuries to come? The criticism how is he's far too careful. Some would say that that was due to his experience of bunker here.

Hill. It seemed one of the largest, most deadly destruction of an officer corps and very high mortality rates and realized he couldn't afford to keep fighting battles like that. His brother, Richard Howe, was also very keen to negotiate with the Americans. So in the process of fighting, they were also attempting to negotiate, and some have argued that this held up their attempt. Certainly 1776 was probably the best opportunity and a knockout blow against the American army. The next morning brings glowering skies and a strong northeasterly wind. Eventually, the dark clouds buckle. For the next 24 hours, rain hammers down.

Conditions are appalling. A muddy quagmire for both British and American soldiers. The British objective is to sail up the East River. There, they can trap Washington in western Brooklyn. But to do that, the British must wait for the storm to end. Washington spots an opportunity. If he acts quickly, he can hurry his men across the river to Manhattan before the enemy can respond.

The general sends out a secret message. All flat-bottomed boats are needed in Brooklyn. immediately. That night, an audacious evacuation begins. Washington orders silence, or as close to it as an army on the move can manage. Men are forbidden from talking above a whisper. Wagon wheels are covered in rags to dampen their noise. In drips and drabs, the Continental Army makes its way to the shore. Nine thousand men, plus wagons. armaments and horses. Loading of the boats begins.

Miraculously, the strong wind drops enough to assist the operation. The first cohort is ferried across safely. The boats then returned to Long Island for the next batch. Slow, painstaking. It takes all night, and now the sun starts to rise. Soon, the British will see see what's going on. At this very moment, a thick fog drifts in. Maybe it's divine intervention,

or just George Washington's crazy good luck. Either way, the Americans have been gifted precious extra minutes. By the time the British figure out what's up, it's too late. Legend has it that George Washington is the last man to hop aboard a boat. Redcoats run towards him, firing their guns. Bullets whistle past his head as his vessel pushes out into the water. Back behind his defenses in Manhattan, Washington takes a breath. In early September, he writes members of Congress that he's learned a crucial lesson. Essentially, he has this very clear understanding that in a traditional

hit battle, the consciental army was not capable of beating the British army. The British army was better trained. They were tactically superior. They had more resources. They had more soldiers. And so instead, he switched to something which he called a war of posts, which is a much more defensive strategy. It prioritizes forts and strongholds, places that he can defend. And a defensive wars is a war that is easier to fight. And it also is a war that is easier to sell to the soldiers. If the soldiers believe they are defending something that is a much stronger motivation than if they are constantly attacking something. He, more than most people, certainly more than soldiers, had an understanding that this was not going to be a quick war. Days after Washington's

daring escape, the British strike again. Five warships sail up the East River. They open fire, Cover for a swarm of barges that now deposit thousands of troops onto Manhattan. George Washington is five miles northwest in Harlem when he hears the cannons. He jumps on his horse and gallops to the landing site. As he rides, he sees countless militiamen running away. His legendary calm demeanor breaks. Washington thrashes wildly at the front. fleeing men with his riding crop.

He shouts furious insults and hurls his hat to the ground. Overcome with rage, he doesn't notice an advancing line of British soldiers. Only the quick intervention of an aid brings him back to his senses. Just in time, he rides out of harm's way. Once again, the Americans have been outflanked. Once again, Britain has shown its superior research. sources. Washington's troops are forced out of New York City. Throughout the fall, they drop further and further back. The shining optimism of Independence Day grows duller with every mile.

This is what happens to them for much of 1776. They engage in some sort of battle they are forced to retreat. They engage in some sort of battle they are forced to retreat. And it is a strategy that helps preserve the number of men in the Continental Army, right? It doesn't result in a lot of deaths. It allows him to keep numbers intact, but it is absolutely crippling to the morale of the Continental Army. July 1776, Independence has been declared. There should have been this huge uplift in spirit,

and it is just not met with any real battlefield victory, which makes the goal of independence look increasingly further and further away. In November, things look bleak for George Washington. In desperation, he splits his army into four portions. Washington himself takes command of just 2,000 men, though he will soon gain reinforcements and new recruits. By far, the largest division is given to Washington's second-in-command, General Charles Lee.

Born in England, Lee used to serve in the British Army, but he later moved to America and immediately sided with the revolutionaries. When war broke out, he hoped to take charge of the Continental Army, but as a newcomer, he was overlooked. Yet Lee is vital to Washington, and now the commander-in-chief hands him control of 7,000 soldiers. When Washington moves into New Jersey,

he instructs Lee to stay in New York, But within days, calamity strikes. The British capture Fort Washington, an important fortification in Manhattan. More than two and a half thousand American soldiers are taken prisoner. It's a humiliating loss. Eyes turned to Washington. Doubts about his abilities are beginning to creep in.

At the end of November, George Washington is handed a letter. It's addressed to one of his senior aides who, at this precise moment, is absent. Washington reads The Seal. It's from General Lee. Several days ago, Washington wrote Lee, asking for help in defending New Jersey. But he's yet to hear anything back, and he's increasingly desperate. So, he opens the letter, hoping for a word about the reinforcements. Washington's eyes scan the page.

He can barely believe what's in front of him. General Lee, his second in command, is bad-mouthing him to one of his trusted aides. Lee disparages Washington's military acumen. He derides him as indecisive. In short, the commander-in-chief is not up to the job. Washington struggles to contain his head. fury. Perhaps worst of all, Lee's letter reveals he is ignoring Washington's request for help.

He has no intention of sending reinforcements. Truly, this is a low moment for George Washington. The British are closing in. If they catch him, he'll be executed. But now he realizes it's not just the redcoats he has to watch out for. The same day that Washington reads, the letter, the Howell brothers release a proclamation. It's an offer of peace. Anyone who pledges loyalty to the British crown will be treated with clemency. Thousands of New Jersey locals accept the deal. They rush to British camps to take an oath of allegiance. It seems Washington is losing support everywhere. December 1776, the Continental Army is in a dire state, and Washington is

very aware of this. One, they have faced consistent losses all of 1776, which means soldiers are done. Morale is incredibly low because all they've done is lose on battlefields and retreat. In addition to this, enlistments in the Continental Army in 1776 were only for a year. So soldiers who joined in January of 1776, their enlistments were up in December 1776. At the end of the year, they no longer had any obligation to remain in the army. And given how 1776 had gone, Washington had not received many re-enlistments. He writes in a letter, the war is basically up. If we can't come up with something, this conflict is ending now.

The Continental Army is teetering on collapse. If it goes, so does the revolution. Unless, of course, help can be found. Perhaps from one of Britain's enemies, there's certainly no shortage of those. On December 21st, a A 70-year-old man steps out of a carriage onto the streets of Paris. He's wealthy and well-connected, but he doesn't look like it. He wears a simple brown suit, a soft fur cap, no powdered weight. It's Benjamin Franklin, the world's most famous American, publisher, entrepreneur, philosopher, scientist, and now revolutionary diplomat.

Back in October, he set sail for France, his mission the most important of his life, to gain French support for America's war against Britain. The journey across the ocean had been rapid, a little over a month, but the lightweight frigate rocked up and down the whole time. The moment Franklin spotted France on the horizon, he demanded to be rowed the rest of the way in a small fishing boat. He ends up landing nowhere near Paris. Never mind.

At least he's on solid ground again. Now, three weeks later, he's finally here. And he's playing his role beautifully. Professor Alan Taylor. He's a very savvy guy. There's a certain intellectual circle in Paris, which has come to celebrate the colonists as living closer to nature.

not having the kind of artificial, complex, hierarchical structures of authority that have come to trouble people in intellectual circles in Europe. And so there's a kind of romanticization of the colonists. Now, earlier in his life, he was one for wearing fancy clothes and trying to show off when he was in London that he is a very prestigious genteel man. He gets to France and he figures out this kind of cult of the simple, colonists, he starts wearing simple clothes and plain colors, and he becomes wildly popular in Paris. Franklin merchandise flies off the shelves. His face is put on snuff boxes, signet rings, and medallions. Prince of his portrait sell in vast quantities. Fashionable ladies even wear wigs in imitation of his fur cap. King Louis XVIth, however, isn't a big fan.

He gives one of his associates a Franklin-themed Chamberpot. Not that it matters much to Franklin's mission. The French would love nothing more than to see their old foe Great Britain defeated in America. In fact, they've been quietly giving money to the revolutionaries from the start of the war. But right now, there's no evidence that the Continental Army is worthy of a full-on French alliance. Unless America can register victories on the battlefield, the diplomatic efforts will go nowhere.

For now, Franklin must keep on schmoozing and hope George Washington can pull off a miracle. Over in New Jersey, December 1776, is a month of misery. It's another punishing winter. American soldiers shiver. Washington sticks. to his strategy of evasion. He keeps one step ahead of General Howe, just about. He leads his

man across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. It puts a much-needed buffer between them and the advancing British. Like hunters in pursuit of a fox, the redcoats don't rush. They have Washington's assent. He can't run forever. This July, on the Noisopod. Network. Founding Fathers, an American Dream continues. July the 4th marks 250 years of the United States, join Clark Peters for a deep dive into the country's origins. On real dictators, the story of Marshall Tito concludes as currents of global history converge on the Balkans. On real survival stories, we're on board a light aircraft over Canada, following a couple on the holiday of a lifetime, and watching on as an avalanche consumes a gold mine.

on short history of we'll delve into the amazing stories of the brinksmat gold robbery and the space shuttle challenger disaster and in sherlock holmes short stories homes sets out on a search for a missing pupil in the adventure of the priory school get all of these shows and more early and ad-free on noiser plus on december eighth general howe leads twelve thousand soldiers into the area of trenton on the new jersey side of the delaware river The Americans are in their sights. But on December 13th, Howe orders his men to put down their weapons. Once again, when given the chance for a knockout, Howe pulls his punch. By tradition, the British Army does not campaign through winter. General Howe withdraws to New York. Before he goes, he instructs 1,400 Heshen soldiers to garrison in Trenton. How is confident he can finish the job when spring comes.

It will prove to be a huge miscalculation. Throughout the board, the British Army and the British generals consistently underestimate the whole American continent, I'm going to say. They underestimate the terrain. They underestimate the officers. They underestimate the endurance and the conduct of the soldiers. And this results more often than not in Washington being able to take those risks and be successful. By this point, Washington has a glimmer of good news. General Lee has finally relented.

Right now, 2,000 of his men are slowly on their way to meet Washington. But then, on December the 13th, Lee is captured by the British. He's in a New Jersey tavern when it happens. Rumor has it, he's here for an assignation with an unknown woman. When British soldiers hear where he is, they pounce. Of course, it's a huge blow for Washington. Yet, it solves a problem. His insubordinate second in command has been taken out of the game.

Amid a sky of dark clouds, it's a small silver lining. Lee's men are now under the control of General John Sullivan. And among those men is David Howe. A 20-year-old from rural Massachusetts. We last encountered David in episode three. He was fighting valiantly during the siege of Boston in 1775. Since then, he's continued to have a very eventful war. Jim Philbrick is one of David's descendants.

David Howe came down with smallpox. The day before his regiment was sent from Boston, to New York City. David got sick and had to go to the smallpox hospital, so the regiment left without him. He recovered, obviously, and within a month, he went with the group of others from Boston to meet up with the regiment in New York. When Washington started heading across New Jersey, David was left with General Lee. Until the day he got captured, David mentions in his diary being part of the group that chased after them to try to get General Lee back, but they were unsuccessful. With General Lee's capture, General Sullivan took over that unit. Once Sullivan took over,

the marching changed dramatically, and all of a sudden they were right there with Washington in a matter of days. David's regiment is joined by some new militia units. Washington now has around 7,600 soldiers, although at least 20 percent are unfit to serve. And in most of the In most cases, their enlistment finishes at the end of the year. If Washington wants to turn the tide of the war, he has just a few days to do it. But he has a plan. Once again, it's built upon the element of surprise. The idea is to usher two and a half thousand men across the frozen Delaware River, in the

dead of night. on the other side, they will launch a sneak attack on the Hessians stationed in Trenton. It's supremely risky. Get this wrong, and the wheezing Continental Army could be wiped out. A date is set. This almighty roll of the dice will take place on Christmas Day. Young David Howe is one of those who is about to put everything on the line. They weren't told where they were going or what they were doing just to get ready and we're going to leave late in the afternoon.

We know that they were all supposed to meet about a mile back from the river and then as darkness started to fall, they would start the crossing. I think most of the men that were involved in that crossing that God and those boats were committed. They had every chance to disappear for the month before this. And a lot of men did. A lot of men just wandered off. went home. David did not. It's 11 p.m. on December 25th, 1776.

Above the Delaware River, a bright moon pierces the clouds. Light shines on the water below. Chunks of ice flow quickly downstream. On the west side of the river, David Howe is trying to keep warm. He rubs his palms together, his teeth chatter. David's coat offers little protection from the cold. Still, he counts himself lucky. Five days ago, he managed to get hold of a new pair of socks.

Some of Washington's other men don't even have shoes. Blood from their frozen feet smears the snow. In front of him is a row of his brothers in arms. A nervous energy skittles down the line. Tonight's the night, the crossing of the Delaware. Making the 270-yard journey are 2,400 men, several dozen horses, and 18 cannons. As sneak attacks go, it's pretty conspicuous.

Then again, it's Christmas. If the Hessians live up to their hard-living reputation, they'll be too drunk to know what's happening. A shower of sleet hammers down. Conditions could hardly be worse. And the operation is well behind schedule. The crossing is meant to be completed by midnight, but there's no chance of that now.

The hour hand creeps ever closer to 12, and much of the force is still on the west side of the river. Finally, the line in front of David begins to move. Ahead of him in the dark, he can make out the silhouettes of men clambering aboard a boat. Soon, it's his turn. He steps on, unsure of his footing. The vessel is known as a Durham boat, sturdy, shallow bottom, about 50 feet long. It's crammed with three dozen soldiers all standing upright.

Gathering the necessary boats hasn't been easy. Over several days, Washington's men commandeared all manner of watercraft needed for a maneuver like no other. The boat cuts slowly through the water. As the wind picks up, it pitches and keels. David grabs the fellow in front to steady himself. Falling in the water could be calamitous. Many of the men can't swim. Eventually, the Durham boat makes it across.

The men disembark. David stands on the other side of the river, and now he must wait some more. It was miserable. It was cold. It was snowing and raining and windy, but these guys had waited for everybody for hours in the cold, in the snow, in the rain, and then marched eight miles with all these artillery pieces.

The roads weren't paved. It was muddy. They also had to get through a few crows. creeks. They had to get those artillery pieces through a creek to continue their march to Trenton, rolling the dice for sure. They weren't sure what was going to happen. They might all die. But this thing that they were trying to do was important enough to them to risk hypothermia, to risk being captured. And they did it anyways. The army splits in two. Washington, on horseback, leads one column. General Sullivan takes charge of the other. Washington's horse treads gingerly on the frozen

roads. Many soldiers slip and fall on the ice. By 8 a.m., the sun is up, and Washington's division is on the outskirts of Trenton. He hopes, General Sullivan has also arrived on the other side of the village. When the Hessians arrived a few weeks ago, lots of the locals fled. The Hessians now occupy their houses, but this morning there's no sign of them. The place is silent. Then the attack begins. American cannons opened fire. Exhausted and soaked to the bone, two thousand American soldiers charged through Trenton's streets. David Howe is in the thick of the action. In his matter-of-fact way, he records it in his diary.

He says this morning we were attacked by a number of hushing, and we took 1,000 of them besides killed some. Then we marched back and got to the river at night and got over all the hushing. I find it interesting that he says that they were attacked. by the Hessians. They were the one running into town with guns blazing. Washington could hear the cannon from the southern end of town, which means Sullivan had arrived just in time

and had started his attack at the same time. Somehow this had all worked out. They were hours and hours late, and yet somehow everything went off right as it should. The Hessians are caught off guard. Within 45 minutes, the whole thing, is over. It's a stunning victory. Washington's grand gamble has paid off, but his soldiers are not unscathed. Among the wounded is an 18-year-old from Virginia. His name is James Monroe. Mercifully, his injuries are not

fatal. Many years later, he will become the fifth president of the United States. In so many ways, The crossing of the Delaware River is a turning point in American history. This is a victory that's a great-cared cause desperately needs, and it is inspired leadership by George Washington. Yes, but it's driven by desperation. So there was some luck, there's some desperation, but there's also some real tactical genius in how Washington conducts this attack. And it's quite a change because he had not distinguished himself in the previous six months. He'd lost a lot of battles.

This is a real turnaround for George Washington personally, and it's an immense turnaround for the Patriot Cause. The victory helps Washington persuade some of his men to renew their enlistments. But not David Howe. After punishing 20 months of heroic service, he heads for home. Soon, Congress will step in to help Washington's recruitment drive. New laws declare that enlistments will last the drug. duration of the war.

Trenton is followed by a similar victory at Princeton, thanks to that familiar Washington cunning. He tricks them. Essentially, he leaves some soldiers, tells them to be quite loud. He sets fires, he leaves all the tents on the river. So two soldiers looking in from another army, there is the Continental Army on the river. And he in the main body of the army marched around the British forces into Princeton, and they fight a much smaller number of British soldiers there. It is a very important strategic and tactical decision.

It gets him a town and two victories that the army desperately needed at this point. And it's something that he does all the time throughout the war. You would think that the British army would, if they see a particularly loud camp with fires one night, assume that George Washington had abandoned it and was trying to run away from them. Because he does this frequently. I think every time he succeeds in one of these moments of subterfuge where he manages to escape the British or trick the British into thinking he's doing something he's not.

It really kind of bolsters his confidence as a general and as a military tactician. It's spring by the time news of Washington's Christmas miracle reaches Benjamin Franklin in Paris. Naturally, he's delighted. The dream of independence lives on, but it's not enough to persuade the French government that the United States is a horse worth backing, especially not now that British reinforcements are arriving. Among the new faces is General John Bergoin.

He plans to lead an army south from Canada to New York. On route, they'll aim to capture Fort Ticonderoga. Take that, insists. Burgoyne, and you take control of New York permanently. Crucial to Burgoyne's plan are several hundred Native American warriors. One of their key leaders is Joseph Brandt, of the Mohawk people. We encountered him in episode four, sealing an alliance with Great Britain. To many native people, the Continental Army poses an existential threat.

If the colonists get independence, they will sweep into native territory. So, Brant intends to give everything on the battlefield. If he doesn't, his people could be doomed. For everyone, the stakes are high. This is exactly how General Begoin likes it. He's an ultra-ambitious man and a big-time gambler. He's certain the odds are stacked in his favor, that his soldiers will outclass anything the Americans can offer. Only time will tell.

George Washington stays with his men in New Jersey. It's left to others to block Bergoin's progress. For Washington, 1777 is a year of bobbing and weaving, constantly evading the British and large-scale battles, hoping to wear down the enemy. But the general's problems remain too few men, nowhere near enough resources. To survive, the Continental Army has to rely on local people, but those relationships don't always run smoothly. The longer the war goes on, the more of a divergence you see between soldiers and civilians. You could expect the soldiers were going to confiscate your food, your livestock, they'd probably use your building, use a shelter. Soldiers in the Continental Army really believe they're doing this for the public

good. And because of this, they expect, pretty much at every turn, to be met with gratitude, to be met with, oh, yes, absolutely, please take my cow for the Continental Army. And when the civilians don't do that, unsurprisingly, it leads to a lot of resentment. Another consideration are camp followers, mainly women. They travel with Washington's men, almost as a shadow army. They are extra mouths to feed, yet without them, the army could not function. Professor Carol Birkin. A woman writes to her husband and she says, waitress coming. We have no food, your children will start. We have no firewood. Your children will freeze. Pray come home. and many men got those letters.

Washington, in order to avoid mass desertion, decided to allow the women to come when the army was encamped. Washington hated it, but he never sent them home because if they left, the men would leave. So he put them to work. The main thing they did is they became laundry. I'm very fond of telling students that if it weren't for women, lice would have won the American Revolution.

By the summer of 1777, British threats are coming from all directions. Washington knows that General Burgoyne is surging through New York. And another question is haunting him. When will General Howe return for the next round? He doesn't have to wait for long for an answer. In late July, General Howell fills 228 ships with 12,000 men and sails south from New York. His aim is to deplete Washington's army, then grab Philadelphia. Ever since the Declaration of Independence, the city has been the de facto capital of the United States,

the home of the Continental Congress. Washington can't allow Philadelphia to fall without a fight. He marches his men towards the enemy, but the British sweep them aside. With red coats about to invade the capital, members of Congress flee. Philadelphia is there for the taking. Are you one of those media strategy people clicking through slides, scrolling spreadsheets? Yes? Good. This is for you. Because on Spotify, there's an article.

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You're among fans. At September 26th, 1777, at 10 a.m., the sound of a military band drifts down the streets of Philadelphia. In recent weeks, the city has been racked with anxiety. For a great many Philadelphians, this is the day they've been dreading, although that's not quite how it looks. In the center of town, large crowds are gathering, mainly women and children lining either side

of the street. A 10-year-old boy works himself toward the front. Unlike many others, he's not at all scared, just excited. The music grows louder, as does the thud of boots on stone, the unmistakable sound of an advancing army. Within moments, the boy catches sight of the approaching soldiers. Three battalions of grenadiers, two British, one Hessian. cheering and applause ripple through the crowd. The boy joins in, thrilled at the spectacle.

The continental army soldiers he's seen are a pathetic sight, unkempt in torn mismatched uniforms. These guys? Well, there's something else. The British dazzle in their smart red coats. The Hessians wear deep blue and sport, thick mustaches. The boy is spellbound. Whether the adults around him feel the same is far from certain. In the past, crowds in Philadelphia came out for Washington's men too. They whooped and cheered just like today.

Now, as the British marched through the city to God save the king, they've switched sides, or so it seems. In truth, only a fool would declare themselves for independence on a day like today. The soldiers swagger into the distance. Behind them comes a long train of camp followers, a jumble of wagons, donkeys, horses, dogs, and the women who look after them, mainly loyalist Americans who have attached themselves to British soldiers. The crowd breaks up. The grown-ups share anxious looks with each other. As the army recedes into the distance,

the 10-year-old boy scampers after it. But really, he shouldn't rush. Over the coming months, he'll have plenty of time to see the occupiers in the flesh. The British have taken the capital, and they're here to stay. The capture of Philadelphia is a great moment for General Howe. But at what cost?

It seems Burgoyne has been expecting Howe to join him in New York. From there, they'll crush resistance in the North. But evidently, there's been a miscommunication. Howe instead has concentrated on his own campaign. Burgoyne is left to finish his ambitious job alone. Now there's a risk that the big New York plan could go sideways. But in the present, moment, George Washington can only see what's in front of him. Another demoralizing loss.

After some success, he's been knocked back again. Through fall into winter, his focus is avoiding a knockout blow. An awful feeling of deja vu sinks in. And he's not the only one feeling it. December marks a year since Benjamin Franklin arrived in France. In that time, he's achieved almost nothing other than boosting his own fame. At his residence, just outside Paris, Franklin gazes out into the courtyard. He's staying on the estate of a fabulously wealthy French aristocrat. Every conceivable comfort is within his grasp. Yet, he's far from content.

He's recently learned that Philadelphia, the city where he made his fortune, has fallen to the enemy. His house has been commandeered by a British officer. Worst of all, Franklin's son, William, remains loyal to the crown. Father and son are on opposing sides. They don't know it yet, but they will never reconcile. It's a gut-wrenching family conflict that captures just how much the revolution has divided Americans. This afternoon, a messenger rides into the courtyard. Franklin, far from Sprightly in his old age, makes his way downstairs.

There, he greets the messenger, who blurts out astounding news. Seven thousand British soldiers have been defeated by the American, in Saratoga, New York. Their commander, General Burgoyne, has surrendered. It seems Britain's worst-case scenario has come to pass. Burgoyne found himself horribly isolated, in difficult terrain. When Americans put up fierce resistance in the Hudson River Valley, Burgoyne and his men were stranded.

He had no option but to wave the white flag. There to witness the British surrender was a familiar face. David Howe. He'd left the family farm once again, this time to volunteer in the fight against Burgoyne, a devotion to the cause equal to any of the famous founding fathers. Some blame defeat at Saratoga on extreme disorganization within the British Army. Others say that, ultimately, General Burgoyne is to blame.

In some ways, it represented his gambling mentality. He was not cautious like how. His great error was not to realize at one point he should turn back and that he was just walking into a trap. But I don't think he could bear the idea of turning back and being proved wrong. The lost dumbfoundes the British. Although Washington has their admiration, they've always considered his army to be a bit of a joke.

Generally, the attitudes were very dismissive. It was almost impossible for them to conceive that America could create an effective army in a short time. Gradually, though, is grudgingly conceded. John Begoyne after the battle of Saratoka essentially said these troops were as good as any. What is fascinating is the respect for George Washington and Britain from very early on for the rest of the war.

It was pointed out by his story of newspapers that George Washington's the only person who's never criticized by the British press. They hate Congress and were very critical of Congress, and they were very critical of their own government, but not of George Washington. When he died, the Royal Navy, did a gun salute to him,

and of course his statues in Trafalgar Square, They came really to respect him. As the messenger relays the news, Franklin's heart soars. This is the gift he's been dreaming of for 12 months, proof that the Continental Army is worthy of an official alliance with France. And with French money, French ships, and French soldiers, the British Empire's days in America are numbered. And in the next episode,

The Revolutionary War reaches its epic climax. Weakened and reeling, the British try new tactics, attempting to turn American against American. A patriot and war hero named Benedict Arnold is revealed as a traitor, and Thomas Jefferson is forced to flee his home. But soon, a decisive battle begins, the famous seeds of Yorktown. And it's here that a young, scrappy, hungry American soldier comes to the fore. Alexander Hamilton.

That's next time on Founding Fathers, an American dream. You can listen to the next two episodes of Founding Fathers right now, without waiting and without ads, by joining Noiser Plus. Click the banner at the top of the feed or head to noisor.com forward slash subscriptions to find out more. This spring, denim gets a softer, lighter update. Introducing Old Navy's drapey denim wide leg, a new fit that moves with you. It's everything you want denim to feel like for summer. Easy, breathable, and effortlessly cool. With a fit that creates natural movement and a wide leg that feels modern, not overwhelming.

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