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Analysis Of The Poem ' George Washington Crossing The Delaware River '

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On a stormy December night in 1776 general George Washington and his men braved the cold and crossed the Delaware River to attack unsuspecting British soldiers. This bold move helped to turn the tides of the American Revolution and proved to be one of the most important American victories of the war. This historical battle was commemorated through a painting by German artist, Emmanuel Leutze. The painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River properly represents the fighting spirit and resiliency of the colonial forces during the American Revolution. The painting depicts one of the most decisive victories of the American Revolution. Prior to the battle American morale was very low, even Washington was becoming doubtful. The continental army was forced out of New York and pushed across most of New Jersey on a desperate retreat induced by many British victories. The British troops that occupied the small town of Trenton were convinced that American morale was much too broken for any sort of attack… Washington had other plans. (Encyclopedia Brittanica) Washington and 2,400 of his men crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve under the cover of a storm. They were totally undetected. This bold move was completely unexpected and carried out mostly out of pure determination. At the time of the crossing the continental army was severely undersupplied. The only two American casualties were a result of frostbite. They were not properly prepared for the cold northeastern

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