New Jersey is a state in the United States, bordered by the Hudson River on its north side and Delaware Bay on its south. The Atlantic Coastal Plain sweeps across the southern three-fifths of the state, with low hills and pine forests covering much of the land.
The state’s fertile lands and relative religious tolerance attracted Dutch, English, and Swedish colonists to the area known as New Netherland, which became the Province of New Jersey in 1702. As new ideas around inalienable rights spread among the colony’s inhabitants, many supported independence from Britain, which provoked the American Revolution in 1775. New Jersey saw more of this conflict than any other state, and the battle at Trenton was a turning point in the war.
After the Revolution, New Jersey’s economy boomed as industries such as glass, ceramics, and chemicals emerged. Its industrial cities, including Newark and Jersey City, thrived thanks to the water power of rivers such as the Passaic, Raritan, and Delaware. New Jersey is also home to an impressive array of wildlife, from black bears and bobcats to red foxes and raccoons. Its wildflowers include black-eyed Susans, orange daylilies, and Queen Anne’s lace.
In the twentieth century, immigration continued to reshape New Jersey’s population and culture. The influx of people from Latin America and the Caribbean helped give rise to many of the state’s vibrant communities. These groups also enriched the state with their own cultural traditions, from religious customs to foods and languages.
During World War II, New Jersey accelerated its industrial growth. Its factories produced everything from ammunition and weapons to aircraft and chemicals. The state was also a leader in transportation, with the Delaware and Raritan Canal connecting Philadelphia and New York, and John Roebling’s wire rope factory in Trenton providing material for major bridge projects. In 1947, New Jersey adopted a constitution that strengthened the governor’s office and streamlined its convoluted judicial system. It also ordered desegregation in its schools and National Guard – progressive steps ahead of the civil rights revolution that was to follow in other states.
New Jersey’s legislature is bicameral, with the state Senate and the state Assembly each composed of 50 members elected from districts throughout the state. The state’s judicial system is unique: it has separate courts of law and equity, unlike most other U.S. states. The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the state, and it has the power to review and overturn lower-court rulings. Its judges are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the state senate, serving a seven-year term that can be renewed to age 70. The state’s residents elect a governor and a legislature every four years. The current governor is Phil Murphy. The next state election is on November 6, 2022. The state’s current population is 9,526,609. New Jersey is governed by a democratic-republican political system. The state is one of the wealthiest in the country, and its residents are more highly educated than those in most other states.