New Jersey is a state in the northeastern United States, bordered by New York City and its metropolitan area on the north, Pennsylvania across the Delaware River on the west, and Delaware and Maryland across the Chesapeake Bay on the south and east. Its 21 counties are shaped like a letter “S” and are home to some of the nation’s largest cities, as well as rural communities and the beautiful Jersey Shore along the Atlantic Ocean. The state is renowned for its rich and diverse history and as the site of many industrial, technological, and commercial innovations. A wide array of prominent Americans associated with the state have proven influential nationally and globally in academia, advocacy, business, entertainment, government, military, non-profit leadership, and other fields.
The first people settled the land that became New Jersey at least 12,000 years ago. Native American tribes including the Lenape, Munsee, and Unalachtigo lived in the region until the seventeenth century when European explorers first set foot on the territory. The Dutch established a colony in the area around 1609, followed by the English and Swedes. Imported enslaved Africans and other European immigrants contributed to the state’s complex settler and colonial past.
During the American Revolution, the state was a battleground. In 1776, George Washington led American troops into Trenton and Princeton to defeat British forces in two important Revolutionary War battles that helped boost American morale. After the Revolution, New Jersey became a major manufacturing center and a gateway for millions of immigrants. The state’s early industrial development fueled advances in science, technology, and medicine. The state is home to such institutions as Thomas Edison’s laboratory and modern pharmaceutical companies.
In the twentieth century, New Jersey became an economic powerhouse and a national leader in social reform. Progressive reform movements in agriculture, education, labor, and urban planning took root and grew in strength around the state. New Jersey’s strong union presence and labor activism also helped spark worker strikes that swept the nation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Today, the state has a bustling economy anchored by high tech industries and financial services. In addition, the Garden State is home to a number of colleges and universities including the prestigious Princeton University, Rutgers University, and Montclair College. New Jerseyans are known for their tenacity and bluntness. The state is also famous for its cuisine, especially barbecue and seafood. The Garden State is a fun and interesting place to live, work, and play.