On what date did George Washington begin crossing the Delaware River for the 1776 attack on Trenton?

George Washington began crossing the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, for the attack on Trenton.

Washington’s Continental Army started crossing late on Christmas night during a snowstorm. The operation was intended to surprise the Hessian troops stationed at Trenton, New Jersey, and formed part of a larger plan involving multiple crossings.

Ice, wind, and difficult river conditions delayed the movement. Washington and the troops who completed the crossing reached New Jersey in the early hours of December 26, then marched toward Trenton and attacked that morning.

The date is often confused with December 26, the date of the Battle of Trenton itself. Washington’s crossing began on December 25 and continued into the next day, which explains why both dates appear in accounts of the operation.