New Jersey3 (in English, New Jersey) is one of the fifty states that make up the United States of America. Its capital is Trenton and its most populous city, Newark. It is located in the Northeast region of the country, in the Mid-Atlantic division, bordering to the north with the state of New York, to the east with the Atlantic Ocean, to the southwest with the Delaware Bay that separates it from Delaware, and to the west with the Delaware River that separates it from Pennsylvania. With 22,588 km² it is the fourth smallest state — ahead of Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island and with 389 hab/km², the most densely populated. It was the third state admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787.
It is located mainly within the extensive metropolitan areas of New York and Philadelphia. New Jersey’s economy relies heavily on its manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries and the provision of transportation services. It is one of the most industrialized states in the country. Products manufactured in the state, as well as other products produced in neighboring states, are exported through ports along the Hudson and Delaware rivers. New Jersey is also one of the national leaders in the production of chemical agents. In 2017, it was the second richest state in the country in terms of average household income.
Tourism is also one of the main sources of income in the state. The main tourist attractions are its numerous beaches located in relatively sparsely populated regions. In addition to this, the state is nicknamed The Garden State for its numerous gardens and parks.
More than one hundred battles and clashes between American militias and British troops have taken place in New Jersey. The most famous of these occurred on December 26, 1776, when George Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware River during the Battle of Trenton. After the independence of the United States, New Jersey was the third state to ratify the Constitution, on December 18, 1787.
HISTORY
Pre-Columbian New Jersey
New Jersey was originally settled by Native Americans, and the Lenape were the dominant tribe at the time of the arrival of the Europeans. The Lenape were loosely organized into groups that practiced small-scale agriculture (based mainly on the cultivation of corn), hunting and gathering, settled mainly in the region around the Delaware River, the lower Hudson River, and western Long Island Sound. Society was divided into matrilineal clans that were based on common female ancestors. These clans were organized into three distinct phratries, identified by their sign: turtle, turkey, and wolf. Their first contact with Europeans was with the Dutch in the early 17th century, and their main relationship was through the fur trade.
COLUMBIAN ERA
The Dutch were the first Europeans to claim the lands of New Jersey. The Dutch colony of New Netherland consisted of parts of the present-day Mid-Atlantic states. While European ownership of the land was not initially recognized by the Lenape, the Dutch West India Company required its settlers to purchase land in order to settle. The first to do so was Michiel Pauw who established a land trust named Pavonia along the North River that eventually became Bergen. Peter Minuit purchased the lands along the Delaware River and established the colony of New Sweden. The entire region became a territory of England in 1664, when an English fleet under Colonel Richard Nicolls sailed into what is now New York Harbor and took control of Fort Amsterdam, annexing the entire province.
During the English Civil War the island of Jersey remained loyal to the Crown and gave asylum to the king. It was from the royal seat of Saint Helier that Charles II was first proclaimed king in 1649, after the execution of his father, Charles I. The North American lands were divided by Charles II, who gave his brother, the Duke of York (later King James II), the region between New England and Maryland. James then granted the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River to two friends who had remained loyal during the Civil War: George Carteret and John Berkeley. The area was named the Province of New Jersey.
Since the creation of the state, New Jersey has been characterized by ethnic and religious diversity. New England Congregationalists lived side by side with Scottish Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed migrants. While most residents lived in towns with individual 100-acre (40 ha) plots, a wealthy few owned vast estates. Unlike Plymouth, Jamestown, and other colonies, New Jersey was settled by a second wave of immigrants who came from other colonies rather than those who migrated directly from Europe. New Jersey remained agrarian and rural throughout the colonial period, with commercial agriculture only developing sporadically. Some municipalities such as Burlington on the Delaware River and Perth Amboy emerged as important ports for shipments to New York and Philadelphia. The colony’s fertile lands and tolerant religious policy attracted more settlers, and the population increased to 120,000 by 1775.
George Washington haranguing his troops at the Battle of Princeton (January 3, 1777).
Unlike other colonies that were settled by immigrants from Europe, New Jersey was settled by a secondary wave of settlement from communities already established in North America. On March 18, 1673, Berkeley sold his half of the colony to Quakers in England, who settled as a Quaker colony in the Delaware Valley region. New Jersey was governed very briefly as two separate provinces, East and West Jersey, from 1674 to 1702, at times as part of the Province of New York or the Dominion of New England. In 1702 the two provinces were reunited under a royal colony. Edward Hyde, Lord of Cornbury, became the colony’s first governor. The Lord of Cornbury was an ineffective and corrupt ruler, taking bribes and speculating in land, and in 1708 he was recalled to England. New Jersey was then governed by governors from New York, but this angered the New Jersey colonists who accused the governors of favoritism to New York. Judge Lewis Morris led the case for an independent governor, and he was appointed governor by King George II in 1738.
Today, New Jersey is one of the wealthiest and most advanced states in the U.S. Its wealth is due to its proximity to the cities of New York and Philadelphia.
Its 8.4 million inhabitants are very diverse. It is a major destination for foreign immigrants to the United States. There is a large Hispanic population, and also many Chinese and Haitians. New Jersey is also home to one of the largest Italian communities in the country. It also has a reputation for being one of the most liberal and tolerant states in the nation. The state repealed the death penalty in December 2007.
Demographics
The state of New Jersey has a population of 8,791,894 inhabitants (2010), representing an increase of 4.5% over the 2000 census population (8,414,350). New Jersey has an area of 19,047.4 km² and a population density of 461.6 hab/km², making it the most densely populated state in the United States. It has an urban population of 8,324,126 inhabitants (94.7%) and a rural population of 467,768 inhabitants (5.3%).9 The racial makeup of the state is:
68.6% White
13.7% African American or Black
0.3% American Indian or Native American
8.3% Asian
6.4% of other races
2.7% of two or more races.
Additionally, 17.7% are Latino or Hispanic of any race. Regarding language, of the inhabitants over 5 years of age, 71.31% speak English, being the most spoken language in New Jersey, while 14.59% speak Spanish, 1.06% Italian, 1.06% Portuguese and 0.96% Tagalog.
Economy
Its agricultural products include vegetables and fruits (specifically eggplant and blueberries), seafood, and dairy products. Its primary industrial products are pharmaceuticals and chemicals, and tourism. The state is famous for its beautiful beaches, collectively called the Jersey Shore.
Government
The city of Trenton was designated the state capital in 1792. The state is divided into 21 counties and has 13 representatives and 2 senators in the United States Congress. Its current governor is Phil Murphy.
The Legislative Branch is made up of two Chambers: a Senate and a General Assembly, with 40 and 80 members, respectively. Its headquarters are in the city of Trenton.
As regards the Judicial Branch, there are 7 judges on the State Supreme Court who are, at present: Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, Anne M. Patterson, Jaynee LaVecchia, Barry T. Albin, Stuart Rabner, Lee Solomon, and Walter F. Timpone.
Counties • Atlantic • Bergen • Burlington • Camden • Cape May • Cumberland • Essex • Gloucester • Hudson • Hunterdon • Mercer • Monmouth • Morris • Ocean • Passaic • Salem • Somerset • Sussex • Union • Warren