George Washington knelt in prayer at McKonkey’s Ferry, asking the Lord for the right words to inspire his troops to keep going, before he crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack on the British.

The greatest Christmas gift the world received was the night of our savior’s birth. And its greatest gift to world freedom came on Christmas Eve, 1776, on the banks of the Delaware River – America.

The birthing of America was not easy. Only a third of the colonists supported a Revolution. It pitted neighbors against neighbors. These patriots were not only rebelling against the British. They were fighting other colonists who were loyal to British King George, parliament and the English church.

Often overlooked are the “fence sitters” who were content living free from monarchical dominance. They enjoyed colonial religious and economic freedoms, and tolerated the British as a necessary evil. The patriots needed to earn the support from these neutralists in order to win the Revolution.

The patriots humiliated the Loyalists in public and subjected them to violence, intimidation, ridicule and harassment. They vandalized their property and burned down their businesses. Even families were divided. Ben Franklin’s son William, governor of New Jersey, was loyal to the king.