There’s an old saying in military circles about the U.S. Army, in the form of a quote: “We will cross a frozen river, at night, to kill you in your sleep — on Christmas morning. We’ve done it before.” That saying refers to the American Revolution Battle of Trenton, only months after the Declaration of Independence when General Washington led his men across the frozen Delaware River to attack Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey. This battle, this victory, gave hope to an infant republic that was still struggling to survive.
Partisan politics reigned, inflation soared, and the country was deeply divided. You may think this is America in 2023, but this was the United States in December 1776. In one of the darkest periods in American history, the economy was in ruins, and Washington’s army had lost one battle after another.
The mood of the six-month-old country had…
