| Once inhabited by the Lenape Native
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| | The 1776 New Jersey State Constitution
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| Americans, New Jersey was settled by the
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| | gave the vote to "all inhabitants" who
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| Dutch in the early 1630s, who formed a
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| | had a certain level of wealth. This
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| settlement at present-day Jersey City.
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| | included both women and blacks; although
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| Much of what is now New Jersey was
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| | not married women, who could not own
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| claimed as part of the Dutch colony of
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| | property. Both sides, in several
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| New Netherland, which also included parts
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| | elections, claimed that the other side
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| of present-day New York State and had its
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| | had had unqualified women vote, and
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| capital at New Amsterdam, now known as
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| | mocked them for use of "petticoat
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| New York City. Some of southwestern New
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| | electors" (entitled to vote or not); on
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| Jersey also was settled by the Swedes in
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| | the other hand, both parties passed
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| the mid-1600s as part of the Swedish
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| | Voting Rights Acts. In 1807, the
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| colony of New Sweden, which included
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| | legislature passed a bill interpreting
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| parts of Delaware and southeastern
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| | the constitution to mean universal white
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| Pennsylvania. These Swedish territories
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| | male suffrage, excluding paupers. (This
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| were seized by the Dutch under Peter
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| | was less revolutionary than it sounds:
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| Stuyvesant in 1654 and incorporated into
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| | the "constitution" was itself only an act
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| New Netherland.
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| | of the legislature.) Nineteenth century
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| Colonial era The entire region became a
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| | On February 15, 1804, New Jersey became
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| territory of England in 1664, when a
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| | the last northern state to abolish
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| British fleet under the command of
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| | slavery by enacting legislation that
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| Colonel Richard Nicolls sailed into what
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| | slowly phased out slavery. However, by
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| is today New York Harbor and took over
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| | the close of the Civil War, about a dozen
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| the colony, against extremely little
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| | African-Americans in New Jersey were
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| resistance.
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| | still apprenticed freedmen. New Jersey
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| During the English Civil War the Channel
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| | initially refused to ratify the
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| Isle of Jersey remained loyal to the
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| | Constitutional Amendments banning slavery
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| Crown and gave sanctuary to the King. It
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| | and granting rights to America's Black
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| was from the Royal Square in St. Helier
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| | population.
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| that Charles II of England was first
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| | Unlike the Revolutionary War, no Civil
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| proclaimed King in 1649, following the
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| | War battles took place within the state.
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| execution of his father, Charles I. The
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| | However, throughout the course of the
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| North American lands were divided by
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| | Civil War, over 80,000 enlisted in the
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| Charles II, who gave his brother, the
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| | Northern army to defeat the Southern
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| Duke of York (later King James II) the
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| | rebels. In total, soldiers from New
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| region between New England and Maryland
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| | Jersey formed 4 militia regiments, 33
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| as a proprietary colony (as opposed to a
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| | infantry regiments, 3 cavalry regiments,
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| royal colony). James then granted the
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| | and 5 batteries of light artillery.
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| land between the Hudson River and the
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| | New Jersey was one of the few states to
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| Delaware River (the land that would
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| | reject President Abraham Lincoln twice in
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| become New Jersey) to two friends who had
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| | national elections, and sided with
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| remained loyal through the English Civil
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| | Stephen Douglas and George B. McClellan
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| War: Sir George Carteret and Lord
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| | during their campaigns. McClellan later
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| Berkeley of Stratton.
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| | became governor. During the war, the
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| Settlement for the first 10 years of
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| | state was led first by Republican
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| English rule was in the Hudson River
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| | Governor Charles Smith Olden, then by
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| region and came primarily from New
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| | Democrat Joel Parker.
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| England. On March 18, 1673, Berkeley sold
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| | In 1844, the second state constitution
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| his half of the colony to Quakers in
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| | was ratified and brought into effect.
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| England (with William Penn acting as
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| | Counties thereby became districts for the
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| trustee for a time), who settled the
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| | State Senate, and some realignment of
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| Delaware Valley region as a Quaker
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| | boundaries (including the creation of
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| colony. New Jersey was governed as two
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| | Mercer County) immediately followed. This
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| distinct provinces, West Jersey and East
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| | provision was retained in the 1947
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| Jersey, for the 28 years between 1674 and
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| | Constitution, but was overturned by the
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| 1702. In 1702, the two provinces were
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| | Supreme Court of the United States in
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| united under a royal, rather than a
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| | 1961.
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| proprietary, governor.
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| | While the Governorship was stronger than
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| Revolutionary War era New Jersey was one
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| | under the 1776 constitution (it could
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| of the thirteen colonies that revolted
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| | hardly be weaker), the 1844 created many
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| against British rule in the American
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| | offices that were not responsible to him,
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| Revolution. The New Jersey Constitution
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| | or to the people, and gave him a
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| of 1776 was passed July 2, 1776, just two
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| | three-year term, but he could not succeed
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| days before the Second Continental
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| | himself.
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| Congress declared American Independence
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| | In the Industrial Revolution, cities like
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| from Britain. It was an act of the
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| | Paterson grew and prospered.
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| Provincial Congress, which made itself
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| | Previously, the economy had been largely
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| into the state Legislature. To reassure
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| | agrarian, which was problematically
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| neutrals, it provided that it would
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| | subject to crop failures and poor soil.
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| become void if New Jersey reached a
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| | This caused a shift to a more
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| reconciliation with Great Britain.
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| | industrialized economy, such as textiles
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| During the American Revolutionary War,
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| | and silk. Inventor Thomas Edison also
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| British and American armies crossed New
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| | became an important figure of the
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| Jersey numerous times and several pivotal
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| | Industrial Revolution, having been
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| battles took place in the state. Because
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| | granted 1,093 patents. Transportation was
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| of this, New Jersey today is often
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| | greatly improved as locomotion and
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| referred to as "The Crossroads of the
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| | steamboats were introduced to New Jersey.
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| Revolution." On Christmas Day, 1776, the
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| | Iron mining was also a prevalent industry
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| Continental Army under George Washington
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| | during the middle to late 1800's. Mines
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| crossed the Delaware River and engaged
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| | such as Mt Hope, Mine Hill and the
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| the unprepared Hessian troops in the
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| | Rockaway Valley Mines created a thriving
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| Battle of Trenton.
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| | industry, which spawned new towns and was
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| Slightly more than a week after victory
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| | one of the driving forces behind the need
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| at Trenton, on January 3, 1777, the
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| | for the Morris Canal.
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| American forces gained an important
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| | Twentieth century Through both World
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| victory by stopping Cornwallis's charges
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| | Wars, New Jersey was a center for war
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| at the Second Battle of Trenton. By
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| | production, especially in naval
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| evading Cornwallis's army, Washington
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| | construction. Battleships, cruisers, and
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| made a surprise attack on Princeton, and
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| | destroyers were all made in this state.
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| successfully defeated the British
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| | In addition, Camp Kilmer, Fort Dix, and
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| garrison there.
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| | Camp Merritt were all constructed to help
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| Later, the American forces under
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| | American soldiers through both World
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| Washington engaged the forces under
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| | Wars. New Jersey also became a principal
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| General Henry Clinton at the Battle of
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| | location for defense in the Cold War.
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| Monmouth, resulting indecisively.
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| | Fourteen Nike Missile stations were
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| Washington attempted to take the British
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| | constructed, especially for the defense
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| column by surprise; when the British army
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| | of New York City and Philadelphia,
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| attempted to flank the Americans, the
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| | Pennsylvania.
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| Americans retreated in disorder. The
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| | New Jersey became a prosperous state
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| ranks were later reorganized and
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| | through the Roaring Twenties but fell in
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| withstood the British charges.
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| | prosperity under the Great Depression.
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| In the summer of 1783, the Continental
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| | Begging licenses were even offered to the
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| Congress met in Nassau Hall at Princeton
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| | unemployed by the state government in
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| University, making Princeton the nation's
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| | order to provide money for those who
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| capital for four months. It was there
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| | could not be helped by the exhausted
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| that the Continental Congress learned of
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| | state funds. During this time period, the
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| the signing of the Treaty of Paris
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| | zeppelin Hindenburg went up in flames
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| (1783), which ended the war.
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| | over Lakehurst.
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| New Jersey was the third state to ratify
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| | In the 1960s, several race riots sprung
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| the United States Constitution, which was
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| | up in New Jersey, the first of which
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| overwhelmingly popular in New Jersey, as
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| | occurred in Jersey City on August 2,
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| it prevented New York and Pennsylvania
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| | 1964. Several other riots ensued in 1967,
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| from charging and keeping tariffs on
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| | in the cities of Newark and Plainfield.
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| goods imported from Europe. In November
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| | Camden also dealt with race riots in
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| 20, 1789, the state became the first in
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| | 1971. The 1960's race riots in Freehold
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| the newly-formed Union to ratify the Bill
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| | are mentioned in the Bruce Springsteen
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| of Rights.
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| | song "My Hometown."
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