On December 25, 1776 Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and staged a surprise attack on the British and defeated them at Princeton. Also, in the summer of 1777, General Burgoyne and his troops moved into New York where he planned to meet General Howe, however Howe’s troops were delayed and Burgoyne and his troops were held captive by Washington, which caused Burgoyne to surrender. Both of these events convinced France to publicly aid the colonists in the war.
