On what date did American forces capture Trenton in the famous 1776 crossing of the Delaware River?

American forces captured Trenton on December 26, 1776, after George Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River.

Washington led Continental Army troops across the river during the night of December 25–26. At dawn on December 26, the Americans attacked the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey. The Hessians were German soldiers hired by Britain to fight in the war, and their commander, Johann Rall, was mortally wounded during the action.

The American victory came after a difficult period of defeats and retreats. It restored confidence in the revolutionary cause and helped persuade soldiers to extend their enlistments. Washington followed the success at Trenton with another victory at Princeton on January 3, 1777.

The crossing is often described as occurring on Christmas night, while the battle itself occurred the following morning. The famous painting by Emanuel Leutze was created decades later and is an artistic interpretation, not a literal snapshot of the crossing’s conditions.