It’s normal to think of Washington, D.C. whenever you imagine Congress at work. And a few people might even remember Philadelphia’s part in the story. But hardly anyone brings up New Jersey, even though for a short stretch in the 1780s, lawmakers gathered in Trenton to get things done. Why Trenton? And why did Congress stop gathering there? Let’s find out.
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Where Trenton fits in the lineup
Originally, the capital was Philadelphia, and then it later became Washington, but not before a whole game of musical chairs. Annapolis hosted Congress first, starting in late 1783, and then Trenton took its turn for a couple of months in late 1784. After that, New York City became the meeting spot in January 1785. Congress usually just picked a place that was available.
The exact stretch in Trenton
But Congress didn’t spend long in Trenton. They were there from November 1 to December 24, 1784, and strangely enough, they couldn’t even get enough states there to officially start until the end of November. They eventually chose Richard Henry Lee as president on November 30. The session concluded before Christmas, and everything moved north by the new year.
The building that hosted Congress
There was no grand hall or fancy state building when Congress sat in Trenton. Instead, they met inside the French Arms Tavern, a two-story building on the corner of what’s now Warren & State Streets. The locals fixed up the Long Room upstairs so delegates could meet there. However, while it wasn’t glamorous, it did the job.
Why Congress came to Trenton
So why Trenton? After completing their time in Annapolis in the summer, Congress picked the city because it was centrally located & could host the session without too much fuss. They needed somewhere to meet that fall. And Trenton checked enough boxes to work. Best of all, it was close enough to major cities without actually being one.
What Congress actually did there
Yes, it was a short stay, but Congress did get some important work done there. They managed to elect a new president & talk about the army, while also working on plans for a future permanent seat of government. The days were quite routine, even though they took place somewhere rather small.
The vote to leave Trenton
The cold began to set in late December & the mood started to change. On December 23, Congress decided to move the next session to New York City, wrapping things up the next day & adjourning for the holidays. They decided to meet somewhere that had better facilities and more housing for delegates. After all, Trenton was never meant to be permanent.
The place in town you could point to on a map
You can still find the location where Congress met in modern-day Trenton. While the original French Arms Tavern building is long gone, the location itself is well-documented and well worth visiting. The Library of Congress keeps digital copies of the Journals of the Continental Congress, so anyone can read the entries from the Trenton meetings.
The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article:
