George Washington’s Continental Army began crossing the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26, 1776.
Washington led the secret operation from Pennsylvania into New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War. The troops crossed in difficult winter conditions, including icy water and strong currents, then marched toward Trenton, where Hessian troops were stationed.
The crossing was the opening move of a surprise attack on the morning of December 26. The Continental Army defeated the Hessian garrison in the Battle of Trenton, capturing soldiers and supplies. The victory helped restore American morale after a series of defeats and expiring enlistments.
The operation is often remembered through Emanuel Leutze’s dramatic 1851 painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware. The painting is symbolic rather than a precise documentary record: the boat, passengers, and river conditions do not exactly match the historical crossing. Washington’s army later crossed the river again while withdrawing with prisoners.