VIII.  Just six months after the Declaration of Independence was signed by 13 disparate colonies, the nascent American Revolution seemed lost. The powerful British army had routed the Americans at New York, occupied three colonies, and advanced within sight of the opposing capital city of Philadelphia.

Yet, General George Washington and his beleaguered troops refused to let their revolt die.  Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Hackett Fischer describes the circumstances and the importance of Washington’s audacious crossing of the Delaware River and the stunning attack on the British that changed both the war and world history. Fischer sets the stage for the next two "Historic Matters" episodes that explore the many interpretations of these pivotal events.