We declared independence not too long before a series of obliterating, crushing defeats were suffered by our army. The British were trouncing us time and time again, and George Washington’s Continental Army was on the brink of destruction. But Trenton reversed that. It gave the army the morale boost it desperately needed and helped convince soldiers that maybe they really could beat the British.


In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech is joined by Eric Schnitzer to look at the Northern Campaigns of 1777, when the Revolution was still far from secure. They talk about the low point Washington’s army had reached after the defeats of 1776, the temporary lift that came from Trenton and Princeton, and the British plan to divide the colonies by moving against Philadelphia and Albany. The conversation also follows Daniel Morgan’s Corps of Riflemen to Saratoga, where a hard-fought American victory helped force Burgoyne’s surrender and changed what seemed possible for the war.

After the Declaration of Independence, the Revolution still had to survive on the battlefield. In this episode, we follow the Northern Campaigns of 1777, when British forces hoped to divide the colonies and bring the rebellion to an end. We’ll look at Washington’s battered army after the defeats of 1776, the renewed hope that came from Trenton and Princeton, and the danger created when Fort Ticonderoga was abandoned without a fight. We’ll also follow Daniel Morgan’s Corps of Riflemen to Saratoga, where their skill, speed, and persistence helped weaken Burgoyne’s army and set the stage for one of the most important American victories of the war.

Featured Guest

Eric Schniter,Park Ranger & Military Historian

  • Eric Schnitzer has worked at Saratoga National Historical Park since 1997, becoming Park Ranger / Military Historian in 2000. He is the author of Don Troiani's Campaign to Saratoga - 1777, as well as many articles ranging in subjects from correcting the longstanding error of British light 3-pounder identification (Grasshoppers and Butterflies Reconsidered) to German recruits serving in the British Army during the American War for Independence. An artist, Eric's drawings have appeared in books authored by Don Hagist, including Noble Volunteers: the British Soldiers who fought the American Revolution, and Dr. Karen Cook Bell's Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America. He and his wife, Jenna, and their four wacky cats live in an 18th-century house in the White Creek Historic District near Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site, N.Y.


Show Notes: 

  • 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited and The Northern Campaigns of 1777
  • 01:31 Recapping 1776 After the Declaration of Independence
  • 02:58 Crushing Defeats and Washington’s Army on the Brink
  • 03:52 Why New York Became a Major British Target
  • 05:10 Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, and Collapsing Morale
  • 07:12 Trenton, Princeton, and a Needed Morale Boost
  • 08:39 Rebuilding the Continental Army for 1777
  • 10:32 British Strategy: Philadelphia, Albany, and Dividing the Colonies
  • 12:25 Howe Changes Course and Sails for the Chesapeake
  • 13:51 Burgoyne Advances from Canada Toward Albany
  • 15:06 The Abandonment of Fort Ticonderoga
  • 16:00 Shortages, Suffering, and Life After the Retreat
  • 17:07 Schuyler Falls Back Toward Saratoga
  • 18:57 Horatio Gates Takes Command
  • 19:43 Daniel Morgan and the Corps of Riflemen
  • 22:00 Why Morgan’s Riflemen Were an Elite Fighting Force
  • 23:12 Morgan’s Men Join Gates and Benedict Arnold at Bemis Heights
  • 24:04 Freeman’s Farm and the First Battle of Saratoga
  • 27:00 The Second Battle of Saratoga Begins
  • 28:51 The Attack on Breymann’s Fortified Camp
  • 30:36 Arnold Is Wounded and the British Position Falls
  • 31:22 Burgoyne Retreats and Surrenders at Saratoga
  • 32:46 Why Morgan’s Riflemen Mattered So Much
  • 33:43 Washington’s Losses at Brandywine and Germantown
  • 34:27 Why Germantown Still Impressed the French
  • 35:59 Contrasting Morale in the Northern Army and Washington’s Camp
  • 38:58 Valley Forge and the Winter of Want
  • 39:55 The French Alliance and the War’s Next Phase
  • 40:24 Why Independence Still Had to Be Defended
  • 42:23 Closing thoughts


Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin. © 2026 Virginia Museum of History & Culture

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