J.L. Bell and Rick Herrera — The British Empire Strikes Back

J.L. Bell and Rick Herrera

In the spring of 1776, Congress tasked General George Washington and the newly-created Continental Army with defending New York City against an impending British Invasion. Washington commanded the largest field army he would ever lead during the war, some 25,000 Continentals, provincial troops, and militiamen. In July 1776, over 30,000 British soldiers and German auxiliaries landed on Staten Island. Over the summer, British forces bested the rebellious Americans time after time and pursued them across the Jerseys, into Pennsylvania. The Revolution seemed doomed. On Christmas Day, 1776, the Continentals and Pennsylvania militia struck back. Over the course of ten days, they reversed the course of the Revolution by through victories at Trenton (twice!) and Princeton. They ignited the Forage Wars in New Jersey and forced General Sir William Howe to give up all that his army had taken in New Jersey. Over the course of ten days, Washington and the army saved the Revolution.

Lee and Mary will join John and Rick to also talk about our upcoming program in Trenton on November 6-8, The Pursuit of History: The British Empire Strikes Back, which is part of our travel series, The Pursuit of History for America’s 250th.

Advance reading available now in PDF form:

The New York Campaign 1776 by one of our guests, Rick Herrera

The New Jersey Campaign 1776 – 1777 by Steve Eliot

We’ve featured both authors in previous History Camp Discussions, including …

[Broadcast on September 10, 2026; recorded earlier.]