On what night did George Washington’s Continental Army cross the Delaware River?

George Washington’s Continental Army crossed the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26, 1776.

The operation began from Pennsylvania during severe winter weather and aimed to surprise Hessian troops stationed at Trenton, New Jersey. Washington’s main force crossed at McConkey’s Ferry, while planned supporting crossings were unsuccessful or canceled because of ice and dangerous conditions.

The troops completed the crossing after midnight and marched toward Trenton. On the morning of December 26, they attacked and defeated the Hessian garrison in the Battle of Trenton. The victory captured prisoners and supplies and gave the struggling Continental Army a major boost in morale.

The event is often pictured as a single dramatic boat trip, but it was a carefully coordinated military maneuver involving artillery, horses, several crossing plans, and a second crossing after the battle. Emanuel Leutze’s famous painting was created in 1851, long after the event.