On July 27, National New Jersey Day recognizes the third state to join the Union.
When Giovanni Da Verrazzano first explored the shores of the Atlantic coast and what includes New Jersey, he discovered diverse communities of people who were later called the Delaware Indians.
New Jersey’s first European settlement was founded in 1660 by the Dutch, but in 1664 the British took control. At this time the land was divided into half and named the New Jersey after the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel.
Leading up the American Revolution, the colony as a whole was equally divided in its loyalties to the crown. There were just as many colonists riding the fence as there were supporting the rebels or supporting the king.
Due to New Jersey’s central location among the thirteen colonies, more battles during the Revolutionary War took place here than any other state.
While the state was the third to enter the union, it was the first to sign the Bill of Rights.
During and after the war, New Jersey industry grew. Innovation and technology take place in New Jersey. Menlo Park fostered the ingenuity of Thomas Edison.
While industry and innovation grew, so did its population. Today it has the highest population density of any state in the United States.
While it may be an industrial powerhouse, its nickname the Garden State is precise. New Jersey supplies the world with cranberries, blueberries, and tomatoes.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Join National Day Calendar in recognizing this unique and captivating state on National New Jersey Day. Use #NationalNewJerseyDay to share on social media.
Each week following the week of Independence Day 2017, National Day Calendar will be announcing a National Day in honor of each state in the order they entered the union. We start with Delaware on July 13 and will complete the celebrations with Hawaii on June 27, 2018, allowing for some time off for the holidays.
