Emanuel Leutze painted this painting in 1851, almost eighty years after Washington had crossed the Delaware River on route to attack the British on Christmas Eve 1776. This bold crossing of the icy river proved to be a crucial decision in winning the war and demonstrated Washington’s military leadership and personal courage. The spirit of a great moment with everyone giving his best is well captured by Leutze. However, in this painting Emanuel Leutze has made a few mistakes causing the painting to be criticized for the historical inaccuracies. Take a look at the picture and see if you can spot the major inaccuracy.

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