FATHER FIGURE
Though it has been parodied, lampooned, reenacted, copied, and criticized endlessly in recent times, for generations of Americans Washington Crossing the Delaware cemented the legacy of George Washington as the hero of the Revolution. And while the iconic painting’s details have almost no basis in fact, the crossing did signal a heroic and vital turning point in the history of the United States.
By the time Washington attempted his desperate river crossing on Christmas night 1776, his Continental Army had dwindled to 2,400 men, many of them barefoot and virtually starving. The great spirit of ’76 and the public hunger for independence had collapsed in the face of Washington’s persistent defeats. The Revolution was on the verge of becoming a mere footnote in the history of a world order dominated by empire. Yet against all odds—a fierce blizzard, an ice-choked river, tactics that went horribly awry—Washington and his men made it across the Delaware. Just after daybreak on December 26, they attacked the enemy’s Hessian garrison at are the times that try men’s souls.” Washington’s orders to his officers had been clear: “Victory or Death.” He had known there were no other alternatives. And victory was theirs—a minor one militarily but enormous psychologically, reigniting hope and determination through the former colonies. The Revolution would go on.
