The city of Trenton was itself an important crossroads for troops. In 1776, American troops retreating into Pennsylvania turned around and defeated British troops stationed at what is now called the Barracks Museum in Trenton. It was the first victory of the famous ten days that provided the decisive momentum for the Americans in defeating the British.
Princeton University was already a functional university in the eighteenth century and John Witherspoon, the president of the university during the Revolutionary War, signed the Declaration of Independence and was a member of the Continental Congress. Nassau Hall at Princeton was used as a barracks for both British and American troops during the war. Princeton was an especially important site in the 1777 Battle of Princeton, when American artillery forced a British surrender. The site is now part of the Princeton Battlefield State Park.
General Washington defeated the retreating British at what is now called the Monmouth Courthouse Battlefield in Monmouth, New Jersey, in 1778. It was the Revolutionary War's largest land artillery battle.
In this 1780 battle, the British planned a surprise attack on Washington's camp in Morristown. Wise pre-planning allowed the American militia high ground and they were able to alert the countryside as well as the Washington troops, that the British were attacking. After successfully defending their plot, the Americans forced a British retreat. It was the last time the British Army attempted to capture New Jersey, and was therefore a decisive defensive battle.
