Image collage: Peter Lee who may have been illegally enslaved as a young man by the Stevens Family in Hoboken, NJ, and Lockey White’s 1860 census entry indicating that she was a “slave for life.”
By Noelle Lorraine Williams,
Director, African American History Program
The New Jersey Historical Commission
This year forty-seven states including New Jersey will observe Juneteenth (also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day) as a state holiday—a holiday that commemorates when enslaved Blacks in Galveston, Texas learned that they were, in fact, freed by President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation two and half years earlier. The date was June 19, 1865. Juneteenth then is a holiday of celebration and a mournful remembrance of deep injustice and loss. It reveals the injustice of slavery and the legal repression of African American freedom, extending beyond the nineteenth century.
But we must remember that there were still enslaved Black men and women in New Jersey even after Juneteenth. Imagine, New Jersey’s death grip on slavery meant that until December 1865, six months after enslaved men, women, and children in Texas found out they were cheated of their freedom, approximately 16 African Americans were still technically enslaved in New Jersey.
But Why and How?
While there were many Black, mixed-race, and white people in New Jersey who fought against slavery, most legislators refused to condemn the institution. Profits from slaveholding organizations had built and maintained the state’s major cities and regional centers like Newark and those in Bergen County.
Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation did not free enslaved African Americans in the Northern States; it freed only those in the mostly southern "rebellious states." Two years later, New Jersey bitterly refused to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, the United States Constitutional Amendment that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude across the country.
Slavery’s final legal death in New Jersey occurred on January 23, 1866, when in his first official act as governor, Marcus L. Ward of Newark signed a state Constitutional Amendment that brought about an absolute end to slavery in the state. In other words, the institution of slavery in New Jersey survived for months following the declaration of freedom in Texas.
To understand this historical development, one needs to take a step back to 1804 when New Jersey passed its Gradual Abolition of Slavery law—an act that delayed the end of slavery in the state for decades. It allowed for the children of enslaved Blacks born after July 4, 1804 to be free, only after they attained the age of 21 years for women and 25 for men. Their family and everyone else near and dear to them, however, remained enslaved until they died or attained freedom by running away or waiting to be freed.
In a period when the average life expectancy was 40 years old, the 1804 law essentially took more than half of these people's lives to satisfy the economic and political demands of New Jersey enslavers.
In essence, Juneteenth, not only marks the day African Americans in Texas realized that they had been robbed of two years of their freedom, following the Emancipation Proclamation. It also commemorates all of our ancestors here in New Jersey who were the last Blacks in the North to be ensnared in that bloody institution.
The New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC), a division of the New Jersey Department of State, is a state agency dedicated to the advancement of public knowledge and preservation of New Jersey history.
FAQs
So Bergen is our oldest town in New Jersey, going back 362 years ago. Wow, how Jersey has changed in nearly 400 years. In addition according to NJ.GOV "In 1664 the Dutch lost New Netherlands when the British took control of the land and added it to their colonies.
What was the original name of New Jersey? ›
It was called New Netherlands. (Meet some of the explorers with Professor Foulkii in the Cartoon History.) Small trading colonies sprang up where the present towns of Hoboken and Jersey City are located. The Dutch, Swedes, and Finns were the first European settlers in New Jersey.
What is the New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act? ›
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of New Jersey's historic resources of local, state, and national interest. Created by the New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act of 1970 (N.J.S.A. 13:1B-15.128 et seq.), the New Jersey Register is closely modeled after the National Register Program.
Why is New Jersey so famous? ›
More things New Jersey is known for
It contributes to its reputation as a green and vibrant state despite its industrial areas. Atlantic City: Known as the East Coast's answer to Las Vegas, Atlantic City is famous for its bustling boardwalk, iconic casinos, and lively entertainment scene.
What was the first black town in New Jersey? ›
Whitesboro, located in Middle Township (Cape May County) New Jersey was established in 1901 as a town exclusively for African Americans. The idea came in response to increasing white resistance (racism) towards African American residents living in Cape May City at the time.
What is the richest town in NJ? ›
Short Hills
The richest town in New Jersey is Short Hills. It is also one of the country's wealthiest, with a median household income of $405,000. This places it in the top 1% of all cities in the United States when it comes to income. The average price of a house in Short Hills is $2,118,000.
Who was the first person to live in New Jersey? ›
The first people to live on the land now known as New Jersey were the Delaware Indians. They lived here starting at least 10,000 years ago. Anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 Delaware Indians lived in the area when the first Europeans arrived.
What was New Jersey called in 1776? ›
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a proprietary colony.
What are people from New Jersey called? ›
List
| Jurisdiction | Recommended by US GPO | Alternatives |
|---|
| Unofficial |
|---|
| New Jersey | New Jerseyan | New Jerseyite |
| New Mexico | New Mexican | |
| New York | New Yorker | Knickerbocker |
53 more rowsHistoric registration may be assigned to an antique vehicle which is at least 25 years old. Historic registration must be renewed every three (3) years; there is no fee for renewal. Vehicle with historic registration must be covered by minimum automobile insurance coverage required by the State of New Jersey.
To be accepted as a historic property, the home must be at least 50 years old (although there are some exceptions) and meet one of four criteria: It's connected to significant historical events. It's connected to the lives of significant individuals.
What is historic fill NJ? ›
Historic Fill (HF) is often encountered on development projects in New Jersey. Historic Fill, by NJDEP definition, is nonnative material, deposited to raise grades, that was contaminated prior to placement, and is not connected with the operations of the site on which it is found.
What is the most famous thing in New Jersey? ›
New Jersey is world famous for its boardwalk beaches and Atlantic City casinos. These main attractions help the city draw 27 million tourists every year. But the “Diner Capital of the World” also has finger-licking eats around every corner.
What food is Jersey famous for? ›
New Jersey is one of the top 10 producers of blueberries, cranberries, peaches, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, apples, spinach, squash, and asparagus in the United States. Many restaurants in the state get locally grown ingredients because of this.
What is the New Jersey motto? ›
The state motto of New Jersey is “Liberty and Prosperity.” Like a number of other states, New Jersey's state motto was not officially adopted. It has gained acceptance as the unofficial state motto because it is a feature of the state seal.
What is the oldest seaside town in New Jersey? ›
The City of Cape May, “The Nation's Oldest Seashore Resort,” is located at the southern tip of the Cape May Peninsula in New Jersey. The city is designated the Cape May Historic District, a National Historic Landmark due to its concentration of Victorian buildings.
What is the oldest Jersey Shore town? ›
New Jersey Tops The Oldest Beach Town List. We love to go to Cape May, and people as far back as 1766 were packing up and heading to this small piece of beach paradise. It doesn't take a mathematical genius to figure out that was even before our nation was officially a nation.
What was the old capital of New Jersey? ›
For several years before a final state capital was founded, Trenton served as the place of business for a newly formed government. During the 1780s, the people of the Revolution were beginning to focus their energies on creating our new nation's capital.
What is the oldest thing in New Jersey? ›
It's actually considered the oldest log cabin still standing in the Western Hemisphere, according to Love Exploring. This amazing building is called the C. A Nothnagle House and it's located in Gibbstown. The original portion of this log cabin dates all the way back to 1638.
