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New Jersey is another one of the 13 colonies prior to the American Revolution.  It was the 3rd state to ratify the constitution after the war was won.  The date was December 18th, 1787.  If you've already studied Delaware then you know that Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day 1776 to defeat the Hessian soldiers hired by the British.  It was a cold and dangerous crossing and the battle that ensued was called the Battle of Trenton.

At Trenton, across from the patriot camp, was a body of one thousand Hessians.  Burlington, further down, sheltered another force. One of the American divisions was to attack this latter force and another was to cross directly to Trenton, landing below the village, while Washington, with two thousand five hundred troops crossed nine miles above and marched down the east side of the Delaware.

Ice was running in heavy floes in the river and after several attempts, two of the divisions gave up the task of crossing the stream. Not so the dauntless commander. Receiving word as he was about to embark that the other divisions had returned, Washington seemed to take courage at their failure.  Mid drifting snow and the ceaseless rush of ice, the boatmen worked manfully until Washington's entire division had reached the opposite bank. They marched swiftly to Trenton, charged the Hessians, and got them to surrender!  Washington returned to camp with a thousand prisoners and with the loss of but four of his men.

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