❄️ Dec 25–26, 1776 — Washington’s Real Crossing Why Washington crossed (night of Dec 25→26):
After months of defeats and with many enlistments expiring Dec 31, Washington needed a shock win to keep the army, and the Revolution, alive. He targeted the isolated Hessian (German auxiliary troops hired by Britain, largely from Hesse-Cassel and other German states) garrison at Trenton, began crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night (Dec 25), finished in the early hours of Dec 26, then marched about 10 miles to attack at dawn. What happened?
Trenton was a clear American victory: about 900 Hessians captured and minimal American losses. This kicked off the “Ten Crucial Days” and set up Princeton a week later. Why it mattered?
The Christmas raid reversed a collapsing campaign, spurred re-enlistments, restored confidence in Washington’s leadership, and forced the British onto the defensive in New Jersey. Reality check on the famous painting:
Emanuel Leutze’s 1851 Washington Crossing the...