Battle of Trenton

(noun)

The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey.

Related Terms

Examples of Battle of Trenton in the following topics:

  • The Forage War

    • The Forage War was a partisan campaign consisting of numerous small skirmishes that took place in New Jersey in early 1777, following the battles of Trenton and Princeton.
    • Also in January, militia pressure led British General Cornwallis to withdraw most of the northern troops to the shores of the Hudson.
    • Northern and coastal New Jersey continued to be the site of skirmishing and raiding by the British forces that occupied New York City for the rest of the war.
    • This is a detail from an 1806 map showing the area where many of the skirmishes of the Forage War took place.
    • Describe the series of small skirmishes in early 1777 known as the Forage War

  • Washington's Escape from New York

    • A series of battles for control of New York City and the state of New Jersey between British forces under General William Howe and the Continental Army under General George Washington occurred in 1776 and the winter months of 1777.
    • This battle was called the Battle of Trenton.
    • He reassembled an army of more than 6,000 men, and marched most of them against a position Washington had taken south of Trenton.
    • The British lost more than one quarter of their force in the battle, and American morale rose with the victory.
    • With the bold strokes of Trenton and Princeton, he had regained initiative and boosted morale.

  • Quebec, New York, and New Jersey

    • In December 1775, Montgomery and Arnold's combined forces were defeated at the Battle of Quebec.
    • On the evening of December 25, 1776, Washington led 2,400 of his men across the treacherous Delaware River to ambush Hessian soldiers guarding the British fort at Trenton.
    • The German soldiers were completely caught off guard and the Continental Army quickly triumphed at the Battle of Trenton, killing or capturing nearly 1,000 Hessians.
    • Cornwallis reassembled an army of more than 6,000 men and marched most of them against a position Washington was holding south of Trenton.
    • General George Washington rallying his troops at the Battle of Princeton, by William Ranney, 1848

  • The Battle of Leyte Gulf

    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf is generally considered the largest naval battle of World War II and possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
    • The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate major engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño, and the Battle of Samar; there were also other lesser actions.
    • Kamikaze strikes were first used by the Japanese in the Battle of Leyte Gulf
    • Identify the notable facts and the four major engagements of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

  • The Battle of Bull Run

    • The Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War, demonstrated to the public that the conflict would not be resolved quickly or easily.
    • The First Battle of Bull Run, called the "Battle of First Manassas" by the Confederacy, was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the city of Manassas.
    • It was the first major land battle of the American Civil War, but is also significant for demonstrating to the wider public the inexperience of both armies and the intractable nature of the conflict given the inability of either side to achieve a quick or decisive victory.
    • Johnston arrived from the Shenandoah Valley by railroad and the course of the battle quickly changed.
    • This figure shows the direction of Union attack and Confederate reinforcement at the First Battle of Bull Run.

  • Coral Sea and Midway

    • The Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway were strategic triumphs for the Allies and marked the critical point in halting Japanese expansion during World War II.
    • The Battle of the Coral Sea, May 4-8, 1942, was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia.
    • The Battle of Midway was a decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
    • The Battle of Midway has often been called "the turning point of the Pacific." 
    • Examine the importance of the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway Island as turning points for the Allies.

  • The Second Bull Run and the Battle of Antietam

    • Following victory in the Second Battle of Bull Run, Lee unsuccessfully attempted to invade the North in the Battle of Antietam.
    • John Pope's Army of Virginia, and a battle of much larger scale and numbers than the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) fought in 1861 on the same ground.
    • The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was fought on Wednesday, September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland and Antietam Creek.
    • Union Defense of Chin Ridge at the Second Battle of Bull Run
    • Analyze the Second Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Antietam

  • The Battles: 1863–1865

    • The battles of the Civil War were fought between 1861 and 1865, with the most significant battles occurring in the western and eastern theaters.
    • They were driven from Missouri early in the war as a result of the Battle of Pea Ridge.
    • Grant, who won victories at Forts Henry and Donelson, the Battle of Shiloh, and the Battle of Vicksburg, which cemented Union control of the Mississippi River and is considered one of the turning points of the war.
    • Missouri had, in total, the third-most battles of any state during the war.
    • A color-coded map of the battles of the American Civil War.

  • The Battle of Bunker Hill

    • The Battle of Bunker Hill, though technically a loss for the Continental Army, signified the relative strength of the colonial forces.
    • The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, following the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
    • The Massachusetts Committee of Safety, seeking to repeat the sort of propaganda victory it won following the battles at Lexington and Concord, commissioned a report of the battle to send to England.
    • This painting illustrates the death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill.
    • Discuss the significance of the Battle of Bunker Hill for the future course of the Revolutionary War

  • The Battle of Chancellorsville

    • The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign.
    • Two related battles were fought nearby on May 3 in the vicinity of Fredericksburg.
    • Battle of Chancellorsville by Kurz and Allison depicts the wounding of Confederate Lt.
    • One of a series of maps of the Battle of Chancellorsville of the American Civil War.
    • Assess the pros and cons of the Battle of Chancellorsville for the Confederate Army