Posted on: July 31, 2012 Posted by: bruce Comments: 0

New Jersey State Facts – Part III

51. Crops – The state’s most valuable fruit crops are blueberries and cranberries.


52. The most valuable livestock products raised in New Jersey are horses, making up about 12% of the state’s total agricultural receipts.


53. New Jersey is a leading state in the production of chemicals. Pharmaceuticals are the largest sector of this market, with leading pharmaceutical companies headquartered in New Jersey.


54. New Jersey’s most important mined products are crushed stone, sand and gravel.


55. New Jersey is a leader in the value of their clam catch, with huge clam beds available off the Atlantic coast.


56. Finance, insurance, and real estate combine to make up New Jersey’s most important services sector.


57. Famous events – European contact began with the exploration of the Jersey Shore by Giovanni da Verrazzano (sailing in the service of France) in 1524. At the time of European contact, the area was populated by many tribes of the Lenape.


58. Famous events – In 1609, Sir Henry Hudson (sailing for the Dutch East India Company) explored the East Coast.


59. Famous events – Between 1611 and 1614, three Dutchman (A. Block, H. Christiaensen and C. Mey) surveyed land and named it New Netherlands.


60. Famous events – Part of southwestern New Jersey was settled by the Swedes by the mid-17th century. New Sweden was founded in 1638.


61. Famous events – in September 1664, a British fleet sailed into the New York Harbor and seized the entire colony. After capturing the colony, Colonel Richard Nichols became the deputy-governor of New Amsterdam.


62. Famous events – New Jersey was the home to 296 engagements between the British and Continental armies throughout the American Revolutionary War.


63. Famous events – On the night of December 25-26, 1776, the Continental Army commanded by General George Washington made the famous crossing of the Delaware River.


64. Tourist attractions – Edison National Historic Site – Inventor Thomas Edison’s laboratory and residence.


65. Tourist attractions – Morristown National Historical Park – American Revolutionary War sites: Jockey Hollow, Fort Nonsense, and Ford Mansion.


66. Tourist attractions – Ellis Island – Immigration processing depot from 1892 to 1954. A portion of Ellis Island is in New York.


67. Famous citizens – Aaron Burr, Jr. – U.S. Vice President (3rd), Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War.


68. Famous citizens – Stephen Grover Cleveland – U.S. President (22nd and 24th). Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.


69. Famous citizens – James Lawrence – American naval officer, commanded the USS Chesapeake in the War of 1812 in a single-ship action against the HMS Shannon. Best known for his dying command “Don’t give up the ship!”


70. Famous citizens – Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Jr. – American officer and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named, U.S. Army captain, led the Pike Expedition to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana Purchase.


71. Famous citizens – Francis Albert “Frank” Sinatra – American singer and film actor.


72. Famous citizens – Robert Field Stockton – U.S. Senator, U.S. naval commodore, notable for the capture of California during the Mexican-American war.


73. Famous citizens – William Henry Vanderbilt I – American businessman, member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.


74. Famous citizens – Bruce Springsteen – American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his brand of heartland rock, poetic lyrics, and lengthy and energetic stage performances.


75. “I’m From New Jersey” is the only state song that is adaptable to any municipality with a two- or three-syllable name.

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