2025 First-Class Forever Stamp,Battlefields of the American Revolution: Battle of Trenton, Set of 3

US #5977g-i
2025 Battle of Trenton

• Commemorates the Battle of Trenton, New Jersey
• Part of Battlefields of the American Revolution set
• Honors the 250^th Anniversary of the start of Revolutionary War
• Part of multiyear celebration of America’s 250^th birthday
  
  

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Battlefields of the American Revolution
Value:   73¢, First-Class mail rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  April 16, 2025
First Day City:  Concord, Massachusetts
Quantity Issued:  15,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset/Flexographic
Format:  Panes of 15

Why the stamp was issued:  These stamps are part of a pane of 15 issued to commemorate five significant battles of the Revolutionary War and the 250^th anniversary of the start of the war.

About the stamp design:  One of the stamps features a photo of the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey.  These building housed Hessian and British soldiers before the battle.  The other two stamps show an original painting of the Colonial Army crossing the Delaware River before the Battle of Trenton.  George Washington is pictured with some of his officers, and the boatman is guiding troops across the icy river in the midst of a storm
Each battlefield is portrayed using a modern photograph of the site, along with an illustration of the battle spanning two stamps.  US Postal Service art director Derry Noyes chose Greg Harlin to illustrate the battle scenes using watercolor paintings.

First Day City:  The First Day of Issue ceremony took place at Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts.  This is the site of the opening battle of the American Revolution.

About the Battlefields of the American Revolution Set:  The American Revolution was defining struggle that tested the courage and resolve of the colonies in their quest for independence.  From the first shots fired in Massachusetts to the final surrender in Virginia, these battles were the baptism of fire in which a new nation was forged. 
Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) ignited the war when Briths troops clashed with colonial militia.  The “shot heard ‘round the world” at Lexington was followed by a colonial victory at Concord, Marking the start of open rebellion.  At Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775), despite losing the battle, the Americans showed they could stand up to the British.  The costly British victory demonstrated the resolve of the colonial forces and made them realize the war would not be easily won.
After leading a late-night crossing of the Delaware River, Washington commanded his troops in a daring attack on a Hessian garrison in Trenton on December 26, 1776.  A turning point of the war, it boosted American morale and reinvigorated the Revolution.  The Battle of Saratoga (1777) was a decisive win that convinced France to formally ally with America, strengthening the colonial cause.  Finally, at Yorktown (1781), Washington’s forces, with French support, forced British General Cornwallis to surrender, effectively ending the war and securing American independence.

History the stamp represents: By the winter of 1776, the situation was bleak for the American patriots.  They had lost a string of battles, and many soldiers had deserted.  But General George Washington developed a daring plan that resulted in a morale-boosting victory at Trenton.
Before the battle, even Washington worried, saying, “I think the game is pretty near up.”  But then he read Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis, and was stirred by such excerpts as, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered... the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”  Washington ordered the pamphlet be read to all his troops.  And he began planning his attack on the garrison across the Delaware River guarded by just 1,500 Hessians (troops rented out by German rulers).
On Christmas night, Washington led his men across the river in sleet and snow before marching nine miles to Trenton.  After overtaking a Hessian outpost at 8 a.m., his 2,400-man force moved on to Trenton.  American artillery across the river provided support in driving the Hessians from the town.  The German troops attempted to retake it, but ultimately suffered 22 killed, 83 wounded, and 896 captured.  The victory helped boost enlistments and gain international support.
The Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey, offers a fascinating glimpse into the history surrounding the pivotal Battle of Trenton.  Built in 1758, the barracks initially served as a military facility for British soldiers during the French and Indian War.  Prior to the Battle of Trenton, British and Hessian (hired German) soldiers stationed in the city slept in the barracks.  Loyalists in search of protection from the Continental Army also hid there during the battle.
After securing a decisive victory in the battle, Continental forces established a hospital in the barracks, which provided smallpox inoculations.  It was the first largescale medical treatment in the Western Hemisphere and the barracks is one of the last original structures that offered that vital service.
Today, the Old Barracks Museum preserves the site where this critical chapter in American history unfolded.  Visitors can explore the rooms where Hessian soldiers once slept or walk through exhibits detailing the battle and life during the Revolutionary War.