New+Jersey

__ **Geography** __
 * __Colonial New Jersey__**

The State of New Jersey is located on the eastern coast of the United States, it boarders New York to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Delaware Bay to the south, Delaware to the southeast, and Pennsylvania to the west. New Jersey’s natural terrain comprises the Kittatinny Mountains, which are part of the Appalachian Mountain Ranges. In the Northwest is a large plateau that runs through the middle of the state, these are known as the New Jersey Highlands. The main waterways of New Jersey are the Delaware River; which separates Pennsylvania from New Jersey, and the Hudson River; this separates the states northeastern corner from New York. There are also many other smaller lakes and rivers in New Jersey, including the coastal plain that runs along the states 130 miles of coastline. The Delaware Bay is its main harbor for importing and exporting goods. The geography of New Jersey allowed for trade because of its rivers, which allowed for agriculture to be apart of its economy.

**__History__**

Before the explorers came the Algonquin-speaking Delaware Native Americans, who called themselves the Lenni Lenápe, inhabited the land of New Jersey. John Cabot, an English explorer, led an expedition to the New World and was the first to see the coast of New Jersey. Henry Hudson colonized New Jersey in 1609 when he led an expedition there and claimed it for the Dutch. The first settlement was made by the Dutch was around 1620 at Bergen, a village a few miles from New York. The Dutch then established early settlements there at the places of present-day Hoboken, Jersey City, and Gloucester City. Meanwhile the Swedes and the Finns were settling along the Delaware River after 1638 as the New Sweden Colony. The Dutch then later annexed the New Sweden colony in 1655. The English then came and seized the entire area in 1664. One of the few settlements made is Elizabethtown; people from Long Island built it in 1664. The Dutch regained New Jersey, which also included New York, in 1673, but the English got it back later in that same year.

New Jersey was named in 1664 at the time when the English conquered the New Jersey area from the Dutch. It was named in honor of Sir George Carteret; he had been governor of the Isle of Jersey, which is situated in the British Channel. New Jersey had a Proprietary charter, its proprietors were Lord John Berkley and Sir George Carteret; they owned the land between the Hudson and the Northernmost point of the Delaware River. A group of Quakers then gained control of Berkley’s proprietorship of West Jersey in 1676 and then bought East Jersey from Carteret’s widow several years later. West Jersey was largely settled by Quakers from the British Isles, while the Scottish partners of the original proprietors of East Jersey made up most of the settlers in that area by the late 17th century. By the 1680’s English landowners from the West Indies began to settle in New Jersey and bringing with them large numbers of African slaves to work their lands. In 1702 the proprietors gave control of both Jerseys to the British Crown changing their type of charter from a proprietary charter to a royal charter. The reason people came to New Jersey was because of the warm climates, the religious freedom and the proprietors offered large tracts of land which was ideal for cash crops, a trial by jury, and a representative assembly that made local laws and set tax rates. New Jersey and the rest of the mid-Atlantic colonies drew many of their settlers from European states that had been disrupted from the Protestant Reformation and the religious wars that followed because of it. The two proprietors, wanting to get more people to come and live in New Jersey passed the Concession and Agreement law; this was a document that granted religious freedom to all inhabitants of New Jersey.

**__Economics__**

The colonists became farmers in New Jersey because of the fertile land there. The numerous towns in New Jersey were little more than centers of farming communities. The principal forms of commerce were manufacturing goods; ironworking and lumber, farming, furs and game which because of their good terms with the native Americans in that region were prosperous. Being on good terms with the Native Americans kept them free from Indian wars. Yes, there were slaves in New Jersey during the colonial era. Slavery in New Jersey was everywhere because of the shortages of free labor the English were much more aggressive than the Dutch were in using slaves on their farms. The English proprietors were encouraging African slavery as a means to open up the land for commerce and agriculture, to prove this point they offered up 60 acres of land, per salve, to any man who imported slaves in 1664. Slaves were greatly encouraged in New Jersey, but free blacks were not, they were actually barred by law from owing any land in colonial New Jersey. Slave count in New Jersey grew rapidly, in 1726 there were 2,581 slaves by 1738 there were 4,000 slaves in New Jersey; slaves accounted for around 12 percent of the colony’s population up to the Revolution. By 1786, when a ban on slave importation into New Jersey took effect, the slave business was already dying.

**__Social__**

The languages spoken in New Jersey were very diverse there were English, Dutch, German, Swedish, and Scottish. The religious affiliations were small congregations of Dutch Mennonites, French Huguenots, German Baptists, and Portuguese Jews joined larger communions of Dutch Reformed, Lutherans, and Quakers; due to William Penn, Anglicans, and Puritans along with Catholics as well. By 1701 the colony had forty-five distinct congregations. The role of the woman was not only limited to New Jersey but most of the other colonies as well; women stayed home, cooking and cleaning, and caring for the family, and if the family was of wealthy or middle class there was usually servants to help.

**Political**

New Jersey had a Proprietary charter, its proprietors were Lord John Berkley and Sir George Carteret; they owned the land between the Hudson and the Northernmost point of the Delaware River. In 1702 the proprietors gave control of both Jerseys to the British Crown changing their type of charter from a proprietary charter to a royal charter. Thus the British government now had control over New Jersey. In 1668 the first legislative assembly met in Elizabethtown and Sir George Carteret chose his nephew, Philip Carteret to be the governor. Carteret granted a type of government that granted religious liberty to Englishmen in the new colony; this was known as the Concessions government. Also Carteret granted that the government by carried on by a governor, a council, and an assembly of twelve people to be chosen by the people. No taxes were to be laid without the consent of the assembly. A farm was free for five years to anyone who had a “good musket, and six months provisions.” This was a democratic form of government because the people chose the assembly, the council, and the governor. The two provinces of New Jersey were now united as one and annexed to New York, under the government of Lord Cornbury. The people of New Jersey were allowed a House of Representatives, it consisted of 24 members, but the governor and council; who consisted of 12 members were appointed to the crown. From 1702 to 1738 the province of New Jersey continued under the governors of New York, but later that year an application was made for a separation from New York, it was granted and Lewis Morris was appointed royal governor of New Jersey.

**__Terms__**


 * 1) Triangle Trade- Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come. Triangular trade thus provides a method for rectifying trade imbalances between these regions. New Jersey participated in the Triangle Trade because it exported grains and wheat and imported slaves.
 * 2) Salutary Neglect- Great Britain’s policy of not interfering in the American colonies’ politics and economy as long as it served their interests. New Jersey set up its own government and set up its own type of commerce because of Great Britain’s salutary neglect.
 * 3) Mercantilism- an economic theory that a country should acquire as much gold or silver as possible by exporting more goods than it imports. New Jersey used the mercantilist theory in the Triangle Trade.
 * 4) Great Awakening- Religious revival in the American colonies during the 1730’s and the 1740’s. New Jersey’s policy of freedom of religion in the colonial era made many different types of people move there.
 * 5) Cash Crops- crops that are grown for sale. Cash crops in New Jersey were grains; such as wheat, barley, rye, and corn.

**__Road to the Revolution__**

**__French and Indian War__**

The 1st New Jersey Regiment was the first organized militia in New Jersey. It was formed in 1673 in Piscataway to repel the foreign Native Americans who came down from upper Pennsylvania and Western New York. The regiment’s allegiance was to the British Crown until 1775, this was when the regiment was raised for service in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. New Jersey’s participation in the French and Indian War (Seven Year’s War- Europe); which took place from 1755-1763, was remarkable. The New Jersey regiment was known as the “Jersey Blues.” In 1755 the Jersey Blues had all of 500 men in its contingent. Their contingent was stationed in Oswego, NY at the first documented military hospital. The Jersey Blues also assisted with improving the fortifications in order to support the British in their offense against Fort Niagara. In 1757 the Jersey Blues were mustered and reassigned to Fort William Henry. In July about 150 were taken as POWs while another 50 died during the battle of Sabbath Day Point on the northern part of Lake George. The 100 men who escaped that day returned to William Henry to join the 200 others who remained in garrison. A short few weeks later those 300 were again attacked by Montcalm, which was, immortalized in the book and movie "The Last of the Mohicans". In 1758 the unit was again remustered and engaged in the attack of French Fort Carrilon, where Montcalm was able to repel a massive British force. A part of the unit was later engaged in the successful taking of the strategic French outpost, Fort Frontenac, on Lake Ontario. During the French and Indian War all of New Jersey were Loyalists, especially the Jersey Blues. Now most in the general public have no idea that the Jersey troops were present or what they experienced. Yes, New Jersey supported the ideas of the revolution, as you will see below.

**__Revolution__**

1st New Jersey Regiment, the Jersey Blues was authorized on October 9, 1775 by the Continental Congress to be raised for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel William Alexander; he was an American General. Eight companies of the 1st New Jersey were raised in Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Monmouth, and Bergen counties. One of the first activities of the newly formed unit was subduing and capturing Tories on Long Island. New Jersey was now a state with mostly Patriots and a few Loyalists, who were mistreated because of their support of Britain. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, Sullivan Expedition, Battle of Springfield and the Battle of Yorktown. On December 25, 1776, the Continental Army under George Washington crossed the Delaware River. After the crossing, he surprised and defeated the unprepared Hessian Troops in the Battle of Trenton. On January 3, 1777, American forces gained an important victory by stopping General Cornwallis’s charges at the Second Battle of Trenton. By evading Cornwallis's army, Washington made a surprise attack on Princeton, and successfully defeated the British forces there. New Jersey also helped in the manufacturing of iron products, muskets, gunpowder, cloth, and field pieces. New Jersey supported the Constitution and was the third state to ratify it.

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Bonomi, Patricia. "Religious Pluralism in the Middle Colonies." Divining America, TeacherServe©. National Humanities Center. 26 Oct. 2010. 

"Histroy of the United States of America," by Henry William Elson, The MacMillan Company, New York, 1904. Chapter VII pp. 146-149. Transcribed by Kathy Leigh.

http://www.celebrateboston.com/history/period02/p0208newjersey.htm

"New Jersey: History." United States Geography. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2010 