He immigrated to the United States of America in 1818, settling in New York City.
In 1825, he began building a factory for leather dressing in the village of Brooklyn.
[2] In 1834, when Brooklyn was officially chartered as a city, he was elected alderman of the 4th ward.
As mayor, he laid the cornerstone for the original Brooklyn City Hall, which was later deemed too large.
[7] Trotter was a member of the Democratic Party[8] and a sachem of the Tammany Society.