With its proximity to the big city life with New York City and Philadelphia, it isn't difficult to believe that New Jersey is the most population dense of any state in our country. Even still, the Garden State has its share of natural beauty, including of 127 miles of white sand beaches, scenic mountains and picturesque towns.
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Henry Hudson claimed the area now known as New Jersey for the Dutch in 1609. Trading settlements quickly grew on the Hudson and Delaware Rivers and by 1623 it named New Netherland. The name was change to New Jersey in 1664 by Sir George Carteret, former governor and defender of the Isle of Jersey. By 1676 the land had changed hands several times and was now a British Colony. Due to commercial regulations and constant conflict amongst the proprietors, the sentiment toward the British declined quickly, even to the point of hostilities.
New Jersey was crossed several times during the Revolutionary War by George Washington and was twice home to the nation’s capital: at Princeton in 1783 and at Trenton in 1784. It ratified the Constitution on December 18, 1787.
Abundant water power, constructions of canals and railroads and excellent harbors all contributed to early industrial development. The first steamship to cross the Atlantic was built in near Morristown. The state remained a key player in industry into the 1900s when thousands of people emigrated from Europe to seek their fortunes in its factories. The multitude of ethnic backgrounds fueled race riots in 1967. Despite these setbacks, the state continued major developments, two of which are its airport and seaport.
Although it is one of the most industrialized states in the nation, farming and tourism are also major economic factors. New Jersey produces many goods in staggering quantities. These include: pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, rubber products, leather and refined oil. The greatest concentration of industry adjoins New York City and Philadelphia. The traditional "smokestack" industries are now being replaced with high-tech and service industries.
Agriculture is as diversified as industry in New Jersey. The leading cash crops are cranberries, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, asparagus, sweet corn, lettuce, cucumbers, potatoes, beets and onions. Eggs are a primary dairy industry, producing over 500 million annually. The state is also one of the leading commercial fisheries in the nation bringing to market mackerel, cod, sea bass, croaker, flounder and bluefish.
The statewide sales tax is 6 percent with localities able to impose an Occupancy Tax of up to 6 percent. Atlantic City has a 3 percent alcoholic beverage tax and a 9 percent lodgings and related services tax. All combined state and city taxes cannot exceed 13 percent.
Beaches, state parks and forests are New Jersey’s largest recreation centers. They provide ample opportunities for hiking, swimming, picnicking, camping, boating, canoeing and white-water rafting. The Atlantic coast gives salt-water fisherman access to marlin, tuna and sea bass. In winter, the northern reaches of the state provide snow covered slopes for skiing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, cross-country skiing and ice skating. Gambling and extravagant floor shows can be found in Atlantic City where the night life can be found 24 hours a day.
