Capital of the state, Trenton was settled about 1680 with the building of a mill at the falls of the Delaware River. The site's potential for industry, trade and shipping was recognized by Philadelphia merchant, William Trent, who purchased the original mill in 1714.
By 1719 Trent's vision and financial support had developed the village to such an extent that its name changed from The Falls to Trenton. In 1776 the Hessians pursuing General George Washington and his troops across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania occupied the city.
On December 26, 1776, after crossing the Delaware 8 miles upstream, Washington surprised the Hessian garrison, taking about 1,000 prisoners. The troops sent by General Charles Cornwallis to bolster the Trenton garrison arrived on January 2, 1777, and met Washington's troops the next day in the Second Battle of Trenton. These Colonial victories provided a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
Trenton became the state capital in 1790. The world's first fully operative steamboat, perfected by a Trentonian named John Fitch, plied the Delaware River daily between Trenton and Philadelphia. Industry expanded; and today pottery and porcelain from Boehm and Cybis are among Trenton's major products.