THROUGHOUT HISTORY, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JERSEY STRONG.
New Jersey has a unique and vast history stretching back to the very beginning of the country, so let’s get some of the basics out of the way before I dive into specific historical sites.
Where is the invisible line that divides New Jersey into two (maybe three) sections; The north and the south? What about central Jersey, is that even a real thing? Only people from central Jersey would argue for that point.
Where does New Jersey stand in the reality TV world?
South Jersey is a far ways away from the happenings of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which takes place in north Jersey. Then there’s the Jersey Shore, which features lovable characters such as Snooki, J-Wow and the Situation. The real situation of it all however, none of these reality star veterans are from south Jersey, and while the show may be filmed down the shore in south Jersey, they are all from the northern counties of NJ or New York.
Questions you may ask yourself:
If this reality show reputation is how the outside world sees New Jersians, does that make me more of a Teresea Giudice or Nicole ‘Snooki” Polizzi? If a tree falls in the Pine Barrensand no one is around to hear it, did it make a noise? We may be stronger than the storm, but are we stronger than the Jersey Devil?
Let’s harken back to the days before ‘reality Jersey’… Who were the real Real Housewives? Who was there to keep up with?
Where does New Jersey stand in history?
Where would America be without George Washington crossing the Delaware Riverthrough ice and freezing conditions? Battles were fought for independence, changes were made, meetings were had, New Jersey was pretty important in changing the thirteen colonies to the United States.
While we may not be “the First State“, Jersey was the first to sign the Bill of Rights in 1789 (move over Delaware). With the ratification of the Bill of Rights the ball really got rolling for us to be the land of shopping malls, traffic circles, and gas attendants.
Jersey was the site of the most battles during the revolution, even gaining the title of the “pathway of the revolution“. Jersey has a unique spot in the country connecting New York and Philadelphia, which during the revolution was the hottest spot to be. Imagine the craziest Bad Girls Club fights but with bayonets instead of pots and pans.
Then there’s Clara Barton, who is not a NJ native but did found the first public school in New Jersey in 1853 before founding the American Red Cross in 1881. She would be the really charitable housewife, who was constantly throwing charity galas and functions for the rest of the ladies to fight during.
New Jersey is the only state in the US to not have their own state song. This is something that needs to change with a statewide vote. I would like to take this moment to nominate legend and icon Whitney Houston (who is from Newark, New Jersey) and this breathtaking live performance, watch her own the stage.
With just all of this alone, Jersey is a powerhouse player in the history department. These points are only the tip of the iceberg and there is so much yet to come. Just wait until we find all the juicy stories of the past throughout these historical sites.