HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (PIX11) - Ever since Carol Lee Hauben and her family moved out of the Riverdale section of the Bronx to Pennsylvania half a century ago, her Christmas mornings have been spent on the banks of the Delaware River, witnessing Washington's crossing.
"To witness the reenactment as a living history is what's special and what brings thousands of people here," said Carol Lee Hauben.
This year, she brought her granddaughters, who were among the few to get a front row seat as hundreds of reenactors tell the story of one of the most pivotal moments in American history.
"I really do think that history and stories are so important for us to learn and really internalize because if not, we're doomed to repeat history," said Carol Lee's granddaughter, Rachel Hauben.
On Christmas Day 1776, General George Washington and his weary Continental Army plotted to surprise the Hessian soldiers - Germans who fought for the British - in Trenton, and take back the momentum of the Revolutionary War. The historical move began in Pennsylvania, on the banks of Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, and ended in Hopewell Township, Mercer County, where General Washington then led his army on a 10-mile march to Trenton.
Washington's army caught 1,500 Hessian soldiers off guard. A dominant victory in Trenton was the spark that turned the tides of our nation forever.
"This was the one chance we had," said John Godzieba, the man who portrays General Washington in the Christmas tradition.
"It's just so important for this region and for this nation that we continue to do this," said Godzieba. "We really are trying to keep this alive and make it happen again."
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