History of slavery in New Jersey

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Slavery in New Jersey was instituted in the Seventeenth Century (1600–1700) shortly after Europeans first settled in the colony. Slavery effected several ethnic and racial groups, including Africans, Native Americans, and Whites (through indentured servitude), however, after the early colonial period, much of New Jersey's legacy in slavery involved African labour. The first African slaves introduced imported by Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (present day New York and New Jersey), and English settlers continued the practice after taking the colony from the Dutch in 1664. According to historian Giles Wright, in 1790, New Jersey's slave population (chiefly African-American) was comprised of approximately 14,000 people.[1]

While the New Jersey state legislature first passed laws that sought to end the practice of slavery as early as 1804,[2] several individuals remained in bondage years after the close of the American Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which ended slavery in the United States of America in 1865.[3][4] New Jersey's abolition of slavery was gradual, as the 1804 statute and several subsequent laws, only freed slaves born after the promulgation of those laws upon their reaching the age of 21 for women, 25 for men. Slaves who were born before these laws were "apprenticed for life." Initially, New Jersey refused to ratify the 13th Amendment.[3]

Although New Jersey eventually ratified the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution and abolished slavery, [5] the state did not formally apologize for its early support of the institution, and retract the last of its pro-slavery legislative actions until 2005.

Contents

[edit] Origins

[edit] Dutch New Amsterdam

[edit] English importation of slaves

[edit] Social and economic impact

[edit] Anti-Slavery and Abolition

[edit] Opposition by West Jersey Quakers

[edit] Abolitionist Movement

[edit] Underground Railroad

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] Notes and citations

  1. ^ "Confronting New Jersey's slave past" by Lawrence Aaron in the Bergen Record, 10 February 2006. Accessed 24 January 2007.
  2. ^ "An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery" (15 February 1804), electronically transcribed text of act of the New Jersey State Legislature published by the New Jersey Digital Legal Library (hosted by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey), accessed 24 January 2007.
  3. ^ a b Slavery in New Jersey by Nancy Shakir at Slavery in America, accessed 24 January 2007.
  4. ^ According to Snell, James P. History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1881). NO ISBN (Pre-1964), several families in northwestern New Jersey (Sussex County) had slaves who while legally "freed" by their owners, refused to walk away from their life of servitude to those former owners.
  5. ^ New Jersey ratified the 13th Amendment on 23 January 1866, after having rejected the amendment on 16 March 1865, according to 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, published by the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site Interpretive Staff, National Park Service (no further authorship information available) accessed 24 January 2007

[edit] Books and printed materials

  • Burstyn, Joan N. (editor). Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women. (Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1997). ISBN
  • Price, Clement Alexander. Freedom Not Far Distant: A Documentary History of Afro-Americans in New Jersey. (Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Historical Society, 1980). ISBN
  • Snell, James P. History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1881). NO ISBN (Pre-1964)
  • Wright, Giles R. Afro-Americans in New Jersey (Trenton, New Jersey: Department of State, New Jersey Historical Commission, 1998). ISBN

[edit] External links