New Jersey has a rich history. Native American people lived there for thousands of years before Italian explorers arrived in 1524. Soon, Swedish, Finnish, and Dutch colonists built settlements and fought over land until England took control of the region in 1664. That’s when New Jersey became one of 13 American colonies ruled by the British.
But eventually the colonists wanted their independence, which led to the American Revolution. New Jersey was the site of more Revolutionary War battles than any other state. In 1776 George Washington crossed of the Delaware River into Trenton, New Jersey, where he defeated British forces. That battle was a turning point because it was one of the colonists first major military victories on their way to winning the war. In 1787 New Jersey became the third U.S. state and the first to sign the Bill of Rights.
The Garden State Is Also the Most Urban State
New Jersey has the most people per square mile of any state in the U.S. and 90% of all people who live in New Jersey live in what is considered to be urban areas, also know as cities. the second largest city in New Jersey is named, appropriately enough, Jersey City.
Another well know destination in New Jersey is Atlantic City, and if you’ve ever played the board game Monopoly, then you’re already familiar with some of the streets in Atlantic City because the street names in the game are real names of very real places in Atlantic City. And if you’re wondering about the most expensive piece of real estate in Monopoly, yes, Boardwalk is an actual place. In fact, the Atlantic City Boardwalk is one of the world’s longest. So what exactly is a boardwalk? It’s an elevated footpath or walkway, built out of wood, that allows people to walk across soggy or sandy land without getting wet, or getting muddy, or getting sand in their shoes.
Notable Cities and Towns in New Jersey
- Newark is the largest city in New Jersey.
- Jersey City is the second-largest city in New Jersey.
- The capital of New Jersey is Trenton.
- One of the world’s premiere universities is in Princeton, New Jersey.
- One of Thomas Edison’s famous laboratories, where the American inventor created all sorts of practical inventions, is in Meno Park, New Jersey.
- Cape May, New Jersey is home to the oldest seaside resort in the United States.
- Camden, New Jersey was the site of the very first drive-in movie theater.
Fact #1: The very first college football game was played between the College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton University, and Rutgers College which is now Rutgers University. The year was 1869, the game was played with a soccer ball, the the score was Rutgers 6 and New Jersey 4.
Fact #2: The only U.S. President born in New Jersey was Grover Cleveland. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to step foot on the moon, was also born in the Garden State.
Fact #3: Inventor Thomas Edison’s early light bulbs, phonographs, and laboratory equipment are on display at Menlo Park Museum in the town where Edison worked.
Fact #4: At Washington Crossing State Park in Trenton, visitors can see where George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River and launched a successful attack against soldiers fighting for the British army.
Fact #5: Frank Sinatra, an American singer, actor and producer was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. Sinatra was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century, and it has been estimated that he sold over 150 million records.
Just for fun, see if you can answer these questions.
What is the capital of New Jersey? Is it Newark, Jersey City, Trenton, or Atlantic City?
It’s Trenton.
Is the largest city in New Jersey Trenton, Jersey City, Menol Park, or Newark?
It’s Newark.
What is a boardwalk? Is it something you walk on or something you use to build a staircase?
It’s something you walk on. It’s a walkway constructed out of wood?
Which United States president was born in New Jersey? Was it Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Grover Cleveland, or Harry Truman?
It was Grover Cleveland.
If you have time, you can write a story of your own.
Here are a couple of story ideas you can choose from.
Idea #1: You can write a brief story about some of the cool things you learned about New Jersey.
Or
Idea #2: If you coiuld go back in a time machine and as Thomas Edison one question, what would it be? And how do you think he might have answered your question.
To help you write a great story, we have some helpful hints and timely tips.
Check out “10 Tips for Writing Better Essays.”
Here's a riddle for you:
How did the wave feel about hitting the New Jersey beach?
He was fit to be tide.
For fun-to-read books about a girl detective who homeschools on a train... check out The Mystery Ryders, a series from the creators of the Homeschool Express.
