George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776 in the operation remembered by America250.
The crossing began on the night of December 25–26, 1776. Washington led Continental Army troops from Pennsylvania into New Jersey across an ice-choked river during severe weather. The movement was the first part of a surprise attack on Hessian troops stationed at Trenton.
The Continental Army reached New Jersey and attacked at dawn on December 26, winning the Battle of Trenton. The victory restored American morale after a series of defeats and helped encourage soldiers to remain with the army when enlistments were expiring.
The famous scene is also associated with Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. The painting is an artistic interpretation, not a literal snapshot: the boat, weather, and composition differ from the historical crossing.