New Jersey is known for its beaches and industry, and it’s home to many popular cities. Roll the dice in ritzy Atlantic City, enjoy the Victorian charm of Cape May or wander the endless sands of Ocean City. New Jersey also has lots of parks and nature trails for outdoor enthusiasts.
Before Europeans arrived, the land that’s now New Jersey was inhabited by the Lenape Indians. In 1630, Henry Hudson explored the region and people rushed to colonize it. At first, New Jersey was a rural society, but as more people settled there, the economy changed. By the early 1900s, factories were booming in towns like Trenton and Newark. People flocked to work in these factories. This economic expansion was partly due to the state’s genius inventors, including Thomas Edison. His light bulbs, phonographs and other inventions are displayed at the Menlo Park Museum in the town where he worked.
After the Civil War, New Jersey’s population continued to grow. Workers moved to the cities, and agriculture suffered. To solve this problem, railroads were built to transport goods and people. New Jersey’s forests were also cleared for more farms and industries. People began to see the need for better welfare laws to protect workers. This movement led to the election of Woodrow Wilson, a New Jersey governor who became president of the United States.
Today, many of the state’s people work in high-tech and science jobs, especially pharmaceutical companies. The state also produces plenty of granite, sand and gravel for construction. In addition, New Jersey is a leader in seafood production, particularly clams.
In 1776, the revolutionaries fought the British in two major battles in New Jersey. The American victory at Trenton was one of the first major victories in the Revolutionary War, and it set the country on the path to independence. Other battles in the state included Princeton, Morristown and the Battle of Fort Washington.
After winning the war, New Jersey became the third state to join the union. It is home to many famous people, including U.S. president Grover Cleveland, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and authors Judy Blume and Frank Sinatra.
New Jersey’s geography is diverse. The northern part of the state is mostly flat, and its coast is lined by bays and rivers. To the south, the shore is made of long barrier islands separated from each other by shallow lagoons and tidal inlets. The southwestern part of the state is hilly, and the western part is mountainous with the Kittatinny Mountains and the Delaware Water Gap.