 |
||||||||||
Popular State Guides
|
Free Traveling Guides » States » New Jersey History of New Jersey
New Jersey, situated in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, was first inhabited by Native Americans from the Delaware tribe. French voyager Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first to arrive in the region in 1524. New Jersey and New York were later claimed in 1609 for the Dutch by Henry Hudson. However, the turning point in the history of the region came when the territory was annexed by the British. Soon after the British took control of the land, the Dutch lost New Netherlands and the territory of New Jersey was organized as an English colony under Governor Philip Carteret. This colony was divided into East and West Jersey in the year 1676. Both these divisions had wholly separate governments. James II re-united East and West Jersey to New York and New England under the government of Andros. However, the Jerseys were left in a state of chaos for nearly 10 years after the death of James II and the expulsion of Andros. After a long period of uncertainty, the whole colony was ceded to the Crown, and New Jersey was made a royal province in 1702, under the royal governor of New York. New Jersey ultimately separated from New York, under royal governor Lewis Morris, in 1738. Owing to its location between New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey became the site of some of the major battles fought during the American Revolutionary War. The Battle of Trenton (1776), the Battle of Princeton (1777), and the Battle of Plymouth (1778) are considered to be the turning points in the history of New Jersey. New Jersey claimed independence from the British 1776 and endorsed the Article of Confederation in 1778. It ratified the U.S. Constitution and was admitted to the Union as the 3rd U.S. State on December 18, 1787. The newly formed state emerged as a major industrial center during the 1800s. It fought for the Union and played an integral role during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Following the War, a number of large corporations moved to the state of New Jersey, resulting in a significant increase in the population as well the economy of the state. Thousands of soldiers from New Jersey participated in World War I (1914-1918). A number of factories in the state closed when the Great Depression hit in 1929. However, the state’s economy rebounded during WWII (1939-1945). Completion of the New Jersey Turnpike in 1952 and the Garden State Parkway in 1955 were the two major significant events in the post-war period. |
Top 5 National Parks
|
||||||||
USA Travel Pal © 2007-2008
Contact
