The Battle of Trenton: What Happened Here in 1776, and Where to See It Today

On the day after Christmas in 1776, a cold, exhausted army marched into Trenton and changed the course of the American Revolution. Nearly 250 years later, you can still trace that morning through the streets and monuments of the capital city. Here is what happened, and where to see it.

A desperate gamble

By late December 1776, General George Washington’s Continental Army was worn down and short on time, with many enlistments set to expire at the end of the year. Washington chose to gamble. On the night of December 25 into December 26, he led roughly 2,400 troops across the ice-choked Delaware River, then marched about nine miles south to Trenton through a brutal winter storm.

One hour that mattered

The garrison in Trenton was made up of roughly 1,400 Hessian soldiers, professional German troops fighting for the British, under Colonel Johann Rall. Washington split his force into two columns, one led by Nathanael Greene approaching from the north and one under John Sullivan from the west. The attack, launched on the morning of December 26, caught the Hessians off guard. In about an hour of fighting, the Americans captured roughly 900 prisoners while suffering very few casualties of their own. Rall was mortally wounded.

The victory was as much about morale as muskets. It proved the army could still win, and it was the first of the “Ten Crucial Days,” a run of engagements from December 25, 1776 to January 3, 1777 that included a second fight at Trenton along the Assunpink Creek on January 2 and a victory at Princeton the following day.

Where to see it today

Several sites downtown let you stand where the history happened:

• The Old Barracks Museum on Barrack Street is the only surviving colonial barracks in New Jersey, built in 1758 for the French and Indian War and used by Hessian troops in 1776. It is the natural place to start.
• The Trenton Battle Monument at the Five Points marks where American artillery commanded the town. The 148-foot granite column, topped by a statue of Washington, was dedicated in 1893.
• Washington Crossing, about nine miles upriver, preserves the site where the army crossed, with parks on both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania banks.

Every December, the city marks the anniversary with Patriots Week and battle reenactments that follow the original route through the streets.

Build a day around it

The battle sites sit within easy walking distance of the city’s museums. See our guide to things to do in Trenton to fill out an afternoon, and read more capital-city history in our Community section.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Battle of Trenton?

The first Battle of Trenton took place on the morning of December 26, 1776, immediately after Washington crossed the Delaware the night before.

Who won the Battle of Trenton?

The Continental Army under George Washington won a decisive victory, capturing about 900 Hessian soldiers in roughly an hour of fighting.

Where did Washington cross the Delaware?

About nine miles north of Trenton, at a site now preserved as Washington Crossing State Park in New Jersey and Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania.

The streets look different now, but the story is still underfoot. In Trenton, 1776 is never far away.