Washington's Crossing of The Delaware River - Legacy

Legacy

At the time of the crossing, Washington's army included a significant number of people who played important roles in the formation and early days of the United States of America. These included future President James Monroe, future Chief Justice of the United States John Marshall, Alexander Hamilton (a future Secretary of the Treasury), Edward Hand. and Arthur St. Clair, who later served as President of the Continental Congress and Governor of the Northwest Territory.

Both sides of the Delaware River where the crossing took place have been preserved, in an area designated as the Washington's Crossing National Historic Landmark. In this district, Washington Crossing Historic Park in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, preserves the area in Pennsylvania, and Washington Crossing State Park marks the New Jersey side. The two areas are connected by the Washington Crossing Bridge.

In 1851 the artist Emmanuel Leutze created the painting called Washington Crossing the Delaware (pictured above), an idealized and historically inaccurate portrayal of the crossing. Fictional portrayals in film of the crossing have also been made, with perhaps the most notable recent one being The Crossing, a 2000 television movie starring Jeff Daniels as George Washington.

The 19th episode of the PBS miniseries Liberty's Kids, entitled "Across The Delaware", chronicles the crossing, beginning with the report and escape of Washington's spy John Honeyman, and showing events up to the reenlistment of most of the Army after their supplies are restored, and a footnote is made by character Sarah Phillips of Washington's follow-up attack, where the army delayed its retreat to capture the now ill-defended British garrison at Princeton, New Jersey. The episode makes one minor historical error: footage of the Hessians' Christmas celebration depicts soldiers dancing to "Silent Night", at least forty years before the carol was written.