This article develops the history of the New Jersey , a state of the the United States.

Prehistory

About 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic , the New Jersey bordered the North Africa. The pressure resulting from the collision enters the North America and the Africa makes raise the the Appalachian Mountains. During this period, the Pangée separates between the Laurasie and the Gondwana, and the continent of North America separates from the North-African continent. 18.000 years ago, the Ice Age makes that glaciers reach the New Jersey. Their departure, the being heated climate, leaves behind them the Lake Passaic as well as many rivers, marshes and throats.

The New Jersey is first of all colonized by an Amerindian group of S known under the name of Lenni-Lenape, which is called Delaware by the European . Lenape are groups which practice the Agriculture with small scales, through the culture of the Blé, with an aim of making evolve/move their company which saw especially hunting and gathering. The group is divided into clans matriarchic, themselves organized around three distinct phratries, identified by a sign of animal: the tortoise, the turkey and the wolf. They meet for the first time the Dutch with the beginning of the year 1600, and trade with them of the furs.

Colonial history

In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazano explores the coast of the New Jersey. The Cape May, the point more in the south of the actual position, is discovered in 1609 by Henry Hudson, with the service of the Compagnie Dutchwoman of the Eastern Indies. The captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, a Dutch explorer, explores also the area of bay of the New Jersey and the Delaware.

New-Countries-Low

See also: New-Country-Low

Most of the New Jersey is asserted by the Netherlanders before the arrival of the English. The colony of the New-Countries-Low extends then as much on the actual position from New York that on the New Jersey. Although the European principle of possession of the ground is not recognized by Lenape, the policy Dutchwoman asks so that there be an official purchase of the ground before any installation, and the first purchase of this kind is that of Manhattan by Pierre Minuit. The first permanent colony is that of Pavonia (today Jersey City) in 1629. The last Dutch governor is Pieter Stuyvesant, unpopular because, reignant in an authoritative way, it tries to restrict the religious liberty: the Remonstrance of Vlissingen of 1657 as well as the protests of the Quakers and the Jews near $the Hague give a report on the difficulties of the direction of the Compagnie Dutchwoman of the Western Indies of managing its only colony of settlement. Pieter Stuyvesant used the force as coercive measure in order to achieve its objectives, which also contributed to its unpopularity near the colonists. At the apogee of the New-Countries-Low, 6.000 people resided only on the grounds of the current New Jersey.

News-Sweden

Moreover, part of the south-west of the New Jersey is colonized by the Swedish in the middle of the years 1600. News-Sweden, founded in 1638, reached its paroxysm under the mandate of governor of Johan Björnsson Printz, between 1643 and 1653. Carried out by Printz, the colony as extends far as Fort Christina (on the two sides of the Delaware). It helps to improve the statutes soldier and commercial of the colony by building Fort Nya Elfsborg, which is located close to the current town of Salem, on bank is of Delaware. The action makes obstacle with a probable catch of the river by the English or the Dutchmen, who also try on their side to extend their domination on the Nouveau World. The Swedish colonies generally lives in peace with its Dutch neighbors and lenapes. Under the command of the last governor of News-Sweden, Johan Rising, the Swedes capture the Dutch establishment of Strong Casimir (now New Castle), who is located close to Strong Christina, and whom they re-elect thereafter Fort Trinity.

The action causes a furious reaction of the Dutch governor Stuyvesant who, in return, sends seven armed ships and 317 soldiers on Delaware the next summer. Carrying out the desperate character of their situation, the Swedes, of which the number is lower by far, return Fort Trinity, then Fort Christina, two weeks later. In 1655 the United Provinces obtain the totality of their grounds and annex them to the New-Countries-Low.

The Province of the New Jersey

Being given the commercial force of the United Provinces of the time and the difficulties resulting from the many civil wars in England, the Dutchmen involve themselves in the transatlantic trade of the Great Britain with its North-American colonies. In this way, the New Amsterdam becomes essential for the English colonies in their exchanges with the Old world, which pokes covetousnesses on other side of the Atlantique. Insisting that John Cabot was the first to discover the North America, the British entrust the New Jersey to the Duc of York, which gives the order to take by storm the colony with the colonel Richard Nicolls. In September 1664, a British fleet carried out by Nicoll seizes the colony. The British have to counter only one modest resistance, perhaps due to the fact that Peter Stuyvesant was very unpopular for the Dutch colonists. Once the captured colony, Nicolls becomes the deputy-governor of New Amsterdam and the remainder of the country, and guarantees to the colonists the property rights, the freedom of religion, and the laws on the heritage. The Belgium News takes the name of New Jersey thus, according to the name of the island of Jersey where Charles II, king of England, was proclaimed king in 1649. New Amsterdam becomes the town of New York, in homage to the duke of York.

Charles II gives the area located between the New England and the Maryland to his brother, the Duke of York, which will become later the king Jacques II of England. Later, Jacques gives the ground located between Hudson and Delaware to two friends who were honest with him lasting the First revolution English: it is of George de Carteret and William Berkeley. The two owners of the New Jersey try to attract more colonists on their grounds by offering grounds and while making pass the Concession and Agreement , a document which grants the freedom of religion to them, whereas the church Anglican does not authorize normally such a freedom. In return, the colonists pay known annual taxes under the name of quitrents . The owners appoint Philippe de Carteret first governor of the province, and this one indicates Elizabethtown like capital of the colony. However the two owners manage with difficulty to collect the funds, and the March 18th 1673 Berkeley wind its share with the Quaker S. the sale divides the province into two areas, the East Jersey and the West Jersey . The borders generate arguments however.

The majority of the colonists of the New Jersey become Fermier S. Cependant, in spite of the fertility of the ground, the farmers are forced to fight because of the food shortage of the English currency. Some of them have slaves and bind by contract of the servants to have more labor. The majority of the colonists live in simple wood huts in the same way that the Dutchmen did it before. Since the New Jersey is ideally located close to the Atlantic Ocean, the colonists can also fish and trade by the sea. Education is directed by small religious schools, private academies and tutors; while transport remains difficult and slow, often carried out with foot or horse.

The April 15th 1702, under the reign of Anne Stuart, the two parts of the New Jersey are joined together and become a royal colony. Edward Hyde becomes the first governor of the new administration. It is however leading corrupted and not qualified, which is replaced in 1708 and is returned in England. The New Jersey is consequently controlled by New York, but that makes furious the inhabitants of the New Jersey, who show these governors to support New York with their detriment. Judge Lewis Morris carries out the lawsuit asking for the attribution of a post of governor independent of New York, and itself is chosen by George II of Great Britain in 1738. Of 1701 with 1765 the border with New York is disputed, which causes a series of raid and skirmishes.

In 1746 the College off New Jersey (today the University of Princeton) is founded with Elizabethtown, then moves in Princenton in 1756.

American revolution

The New Jersey is one of the Thirteen colonies British in North America which meet in the fight for the Indépendance with respect to the Great Britain. Many inhabitants of the New Jersey feel however close to the British Crown, and of many slaves put themselves at the sides of English in exchange of their freedom. The loyal supporters include the governor of the province, William Franklin.

The July 2nd 1776, the first Constitution of the New Jersey is outlined. It authorizes all the inhabitants to be voted, of which blacks and widows. The Constitution declares itself temporary and cancelled if a reconciliation would take place with Great Britain. Two days after the approval of this constitution, the July 4th 1776, the Déclaration of independence of the United States of America is approved by five representatives of the New Jersey.

The New Jersey was called the " crossroads of Révolution" because the British and continental armies fought several crucial battles to it. Throughout the war 296 engagements take place there, more than on the grounds of the other colonies. The battles of Trenton, Princeton, Monmouth and Springfield are the four principal ones. The battles of Trenton and Princeton are collectively called the Ten Crucial Days (ten crucial days) because the victories with these two battles gave again the moral one with the nation.

The night of Christmas 1776 the Continental Army, ordered by the General George Washington, crosses the river Delaware. This famous scene is immortalisée by the painting of Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware . The American soldiers then surprise Hessians stationed in Trenton, whose majority are deadened or drunk because of the festival, and not prepared with an attack. The Continental Army consequently surrounds their regiments which are put in rout. 900 Hessians are captured in a few 90 minutes, as well as supplies intended for the British army. After the victory, Washington carries out the army until in Pennsylvania with a new crossing of the river.

The January 3rd 1777, the Continental Army gains the Battle of Princeton. The British general Charles Cornwallis hopes to engage the army of Washington with Trenton after Washington recrossed the river. The British take again Trenton, but American gains the battle and forces the British to go: those are obliged to leave the New Jersey.

The New Jersey ratifies and signs the Articles of the Confederation the November 26th 1779. In summer 1783, the Continental Congress meets in Princeton University, and Princeton becomes the capital of the nation for four months, bus of the troops in mutiny prevent from reaching Philadelphia. The December 18th 1787 the New Jersey is the third state to ratify the Constitution, and it becomes the first state of the Union of November 20th 1789 to off ratify the Bill Rights .

The New Jersey plays a big role in the creation of the structure of the new government: when the delegates of the Virginia propose a plan calling with a representation based on the population of each state, the small states refuse, for fear with such a system they would not have any more any voice at the assembly. William Patterson, a statesman of the New Jersey, introduced the New Jersey Plan , by which a vote is given in each state, which returns the representation equalizes on the level of the legislative body. The Great Compromise accepts the two plans, and thus creates two rooms separated within the Congress.

E century

The Industrial revolution

War and slavery

E century

The beginning of the century and the First World War

The years 1920

Great Depression

The years 1940 and the Second world war

Second half of the century

E century

See too

History of the United States

References