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Trenton

Trenton, New Jersey Vacations, Luxury Hotels, Upscale Trenton Travel Packages 

Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the City of Trenton had a population of 82,804.

Trenton History

The story of Trenton began in 1679, when Yorkshire Quakers Mahlon Stacy built a mill at the falls of the Delaware River. Seeing the area's potential, Philadelphia businessman William Trent bought the mill in 1714, and by 1719 the city adopted the name Trent Towne, which was later shortened to Trenton. On December 25, 1776, George Washington began his famous crossing of the Delaware River from Pennsylvania in preparation for his surprise assault on the Hessians the following day in the First Battle of Trenton. The Second Battle of Trenton came eight days later, on January 2. The Revolutionary War battles fought in and near Trenton are considered pivotal in turning the war in the rebels' favor. Trenton became New Jersey's capital in 1790, and the travels of the first fully operational steamboat on the Delaware River made the city well-known across the globe.

Trenton is rich in history, and travelers to the city can experience much of it with visits to such attractions as the New Jersey State Museum; the Trent House, which was built in 1719 by William Trent and is said to be the oldest house in the city; Washington Crossing State Park, which honors the historic Revolutionary War episode, and the Old Barracks Museum, the only surviving British colonial barracks in the country.

By 1719, the town adopted the name "Trent-towne", after William Trent, one of its leading landholders who purchased much of the surrounding land from Stacy's family. This name later was shortened to "Trenton".
 
During the American Revolutionary War, the city was the site of George Washington's first military victory. On December 26, 1776, Washington and his army, after crossing the icy Delaware River to Trenton, defeated the Hessian troops garrisoned there (see Battle of Trenton). After the war, Trenton was briefly the national capital of the United States in November and December of 1784. The city was considered as a permanent capital for the new country, but the southern states favored a location south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Trenton became the state capital in 1790, but prior to that year the Legislature often met here. The town was incorporated in 1792.

www.trentonnj.org
www.wikipedia.com
www.hellotrenton.com

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