Citys role during the american revolution. Trenton is very important during the revolution. Thats something that people only think about when they think about the battle of trenton is and be they recognize that that was important, that was a turning point, major turning point. It actually was a time that sort of saved the revolution at that point early in the war and allowed it to continue. It might have just filzed out if it hadnt been for the battle of trenton. But trenton goes way beyond in importance to just that one battle. Washington spent more time in new jersey than any other state during the revolution, and and his army spent a lot of time here. And the people of trenton themselves, the craftsmen who loved here, the merchants who lived here, just everybody this trenton wound up playing a role in the war to support Washingtons Army, to support the cause in various ways. Washington wanted to avoid at all costs the kind of military action that would threaten the existence of his army. He would fight, but he never wanted to be captured like cornwallis was at yorktown. He wanted to avoid that kind of disaster. That would have ended the revolution. So he would always want to live to fight another day in his battles. And the important thing to him was to just keep the revolution going and keep the army in the field. And i believe that new jersey in general and trenton in particular was very instrumental in helping him accomplish that goal. It served the Continental Army as a hospital right where were standing here at the barracks. The barracks was an Army Hospital during the revolution. Its where washington made one of his major sort of innovations at that time by inoculating all his troops against smallpox and saved his army which might have been wiped out around 1776 not by the british, but by smallpox. So the, trenton played a role in that. In addition, trenton because of its location between new york and philadelphia was a major supply depot. And the army need food. [laughter] and trenton became, because of its geographic location, it was used as a supply depot from before the battle of trenton all the way through 1783 and kept the army going. One of new jerseys main contributions to the revolution in this area was the organization of its militia. Militia was a state function, not a Continental Congress function, and new jersey had passed the law that required member to be in it. However, new jersey because of Washingtons Army being here, because of the britishing with constantly in new york british being constantly in new york and for a year this philadelphia, the militiamen were could out very frequently. It was virtually every other month or every third month, sometimes the if they were lucky every fourth month that a man might get could out. This was very, very strenuous on trying to keep the local economy going. One thing that we dont normally think about the militia is as parttime soldiers, they were fulltime civilians with jobs that they had to leave in order to go out on militia duty. And militia duty was always considered to be kind of a last resort defense, not a first resort. But during the revolution, it almost became a first resort. And men were taken away from home, taken away there their farms, their crafts, whatever it might be be in order to, you know, go against the british and prevent the british from a making attacks into new jersey. And it got so bad that washington even described and used the phrase when people complained that the new jersey militia was not always coming out and not always being vigorous, he says, well, its no wonder. Theyre a people harassed and exhausted. And one of the first books that i wrote about the revolution in new jersey, you know, used that as the title, a people harassed and exhausted. Washington complained about the new jersey militia, but i think deep down inside he knew that he owed a lot to them because they had sacrificed a great deal in order to help him out. He passed right through town on his way there, but in terms of bringing his troops here, it was after the new york campaign, after the battles of long island, Harlem Heights and white plains. And those were all pretty bad issues for the Continental Army. He felt, maybe, they will try to push it a few more weeks and take pennsylvania. So that was that was his main concern but he did go to pennsylvania and the british took over all of Central New Jersey including trenton and established their Winter Quarters here. They decided not to go into philadelphia but they established their Winter Quarters here and, of course, then its washington coming back and attacking those Winter Quarters that gave Trenton Place in history in december, late december of 76, king george and lord north, british hierarchy wanted to finish the war in a year and they had anticipated that by january 1st, 1777 this was going to be the theyre not going to have to worry about it anymore. And they were a little bit unhappy with general and other generals for not having finished the war off, but in the spring no problem. Certainly its going to take one more year. The washington was looking at the end of the road instead of almost the beginning of the road like the british were and he decided that he had to make some kind of a move. He had were captured, but the main thing that we remember of the battle of trenton for in terms of outcome and influence on the rest of the war is it gave the men in and Washingtons Army something to feel good about. But, you know, escorting 900hessian prisoners to pennsylvania, hessians had more many casualties than the americans did in the battle. There were two famous wounded americans, one being William Washington, captain William Washington who was distant cousin of George Washington and the other future president of the United States james monroe who was a lieutenant under captain washington. Those were the two men wounded by gunfire. Monroe almost died from his wound but survived and those were the primary casualties on the american side. A couple of guys froze to death on the march to trenton but in the battle itself they were very few american casualties. The americans really felt good about what they had accomplished combined effort of a whole population that leads to the success. Behind me is the new jersey state library, located in capital city of trenton. Up next they will show us rare books featured in their collection. The library founded in 1796 when the legislature assigned responsibility for the collection of books that they had been building since colonial times to the clerk of the house and he was directed to create a list of books to include in the proceedings of march 18, 1786, he was further directed, quote, to procure at the expense of the legislature a suitable case for the keeping and preservation of such books. He was also directed to make sure basicly