In 1776, the United States of America, then known as the 13 Colonies, declared independence from England. On the night of December 25, 1776, General George Washington led a group of his men across the Delaware river to attack a Hessian encampment. They arrived the morning of December 26 and won the fight, giving them the boost they needed to keep going despite the cold.
Although the exact location is difficult to pinpoint, Washington and his men crossed the Delaware somewhere along Pennslyvania’s border and the event is still honored by the Washington Crossing Historical Park. Emanuel Leutze made a famous painting to commemorate the crossing, which today lives in the MET museum in New York. Completed in 1851, this oil painting is 149 by 255 inches—or nearly 12.5 by 21.25 feet!
