Which river did George Washington cross on the night of December 25–26, 1776?

George Washington crossed the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26, 1776. The dangerous operation enabled his Continental Army to surprise Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey, on the morning of December 26.

Washington’s troops crossed from Pennsylvania in darkness, amid snow, sleet, ice, and strong river conditions. The plan required secrecy because the army was attempting to reverse a series of defeats and restore American morale. Delays prevented some supporting crossings from succeeding, but Washington’s main force reached New Jersey.

The victory at the Battle of Trenton captured prisoners and supplies and helped revive the American cause. Washington crossed the river again after the battle, and his army later returned to New Jersey for further operations at Trenton and Princeton. Emanuel Leutze’s famous 1851 painting dramatized the crossing, though it is an artistic interpretation rather than a literal record of every detail.