American Revolution, Part 3: Washington Crosses the Delaware
The boys learned about Washington's crossing the Delaware river for a surprise attack against the Hessian forces at Trenton New Jersey. We noted that the story included horses being a part of the forces that crossed by boat, and that was a fact that I had somehow forgotten. They were not carried over in small boats, however, as depicted in this famous painting, but on barges.
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| Emanuel Leutze's painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) |
We discussed some of the historical inaccuracies of the painting, and about it being not a realistic, but a stylized depiction of the crossing.
and not noticing the American soldiers coming across the Delaware.
(Looks a little like the painting, doesn't it?)
The Americans caught the Hessians unaware.
Then the boys reenacted the scene of the Hessian soldiers celebrating...
(Looks a little like the painting, doesn't it?)
The Americans caught the Hessians unaware.
They also added some interactive maps to their history notebooks.
