General Washington chose to cross the Delaware River at this strategic point because it allowed his troops to cross without probable detection. After landing in New Jersey, the Continental army marched approximately nine miles through a perilous winter storm and engaged the Hessian garrison at the Battle of Trenton.

George Washington crossed the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26, 1776, out of a desperate need to save the American Revolution from total collapse. By late 1776, the Continental Army had suffered a series of demoralizing defeats and was dwindling due to desertions and expiring enlistments. Washington realized that without a decisive victory, the rebellion would likely end by the new year. He planned a surprise attack against a garrison of roughly 1,400 Hessian mercenaries (German troops fighting for the British) stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. The crossing was a logistical nightmare involving ice-choked waters and a blinding nor'easter storm, but it allowed Washington's forces to catch the Hessians off-guard on Christmas morning. The resulting victory at the Battle of Trenton was a turning point; it significantly boosted American morale, convinced many soldiers to re-enlist, and demonstrated that the Continental Army was still a capable fighting force, effectively breathing new life into the fight for independence.