George Washington crossed the Delaware River in December 1776, a Revolutionary War episode remembered during America250.
Washington led Continental Army troops across the river from Pennsylvania into New Jersey on the night of December 25–26, 1776. The operation was difficult because of darkness, strong currents, ice, and severe weather. The army then attacked Hessian troops at Trenton on the morning of December 26.
The victory at Trenton was strategically limited but politically important. The Continental Army had suffered defeats around New York and was facing expiring enlistments. The successful attack boosted morale and helped Washington persuade soldiers to remain in service. A second victory at Princeton followed in January 1777.
The crossing became famous through later paintings, especially Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 work Washington Crossing the Delaware. That painting is dramatic rather than a literal record of every detail: the boat, passengers, and weather were stylized. The historical river crossing itself, however, was the Delaware.