George Washington crossed the Delaware River during the famous 1776 surprise attack remembered in America's 250th anniversary story.
Washington led Continental Army troops across the river on the night of December 25–26, 1776. Their target was the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, which they attacked at dawn on December 26. The Americans captured prisoners, weapons, and supplies while suffering very few casualties.
The operation followed a series of defeats that had pushed the Continental Army out of New York and across New Jersey. The victory at Trenton restored morale and helped Washington maintain the army during a dangerous period. A second victory at Princeton followed on January 3, 1777.
The crossing became one of the best-known images of the American Revolution. Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware dramatically depicts the event, although its composition includes artistic liberties. The river crossing and the Battle of Trenton were related events, but they are not the same event.