Welcome to the American Story.

Stories about all the things that make America the country we know and love.

In this episode, we remember a Christmas when the existence of the country hung in the balance,

December 25th, 1776.

Reasonable people thought it was all over for the American Revolution.

Washington's ragtag army was no match for the superior British forces.

But on Christmas night, in a desperate gamble, he led his men across the swollen ice-clogged

Delaware River to a stunning victory.

Let us be of good cheer and fight the good fight, as Washington, his men, and so many other Patriots before us have

done.

This is Chris Flannery with the Claremont Institute, wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and joy of the season.

I call this one.

Victory or Death.

American Christmas 1776.

One had to be a fool or a fanatic in early January 1776

to advocate American independence.

That is the considered judgment of one of the leading historians of the American Revolution.

Meeting in Philadelphia, delegates from the 13 colonies to the Second Continental Congress

had been discussing independence for months leading up to January 1776.

Some were strong advocates. All delegates were pledged not to reveal the

secrets of their conversations outside the doors of Congress. One reason for

this was that discussion of independence was dangerous.

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