Insights Into History: Episode 6 "Delaware Defenders Part One" (AUDIO)

In 1777 the British took Philadelphia but found themselves hemmed in by a stubborn defense on the Delaware River—Fort Mifflin, Fort Mercer, Fort Billingsport, underwater chevaux-de-frise, and determined American engineers and troops. This episode traces how river forts, improvised obstacles, and logistics rather than grand battles forced the British to fight for supply lines and bought the Continental cause the time it needed.

Set against Howe’s sea-borne campaign and Burgoyne’s northern disaster at Saratoga, the episode shows why taking a capital didn’t end the war: control of the river, not the city, proved the decisive factor in 1777.