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New Jersey: A History of the Garden State, with Professor Maxine Lurie

Did you know that New Jersey was once divided into two parts-East Jersey and West Jersey? That streptomycin was first isolated at Rutgers University? Or that the first vote cast by an African American under the Fifteenth Amendment was in Perth Amboy? How about that New Jersey was the site of the first intercollegiate football game? 

These and similar topics will be covered by Professor Maxine Lurie in a lecture, New Jersey: A History of the Garden State, on January 23, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

The year 2014 marks the 350th anniversary of the land grant given by King Charles II to Lords Carteret and Berkeley, who were authorized to form the provinces of East and West Jersey in the colony of New Jersey. Beginning from a parcel of land obtained from the Lenape Tribe by a group called "Elizabethtown Associates," settlers who came from Connecticut and Massachusetts via Long Island began to settle the region and the rest, as they say, is history. 

New Jersey played a pivotal role in the American Revolution, early industrialization, and technological developments in transportation, including turnpikes, canals, and railroads. The nineteenth century saw major debates over slavery. Then came the evolution of NJ’s industry, urbanization, and the growth of shore communities. A destination for immigrants, New Jersey continues to be one of the most diverse states in the nation.
New Jersey in the 20th century experienced the rise of suburbs, the corresponding decline of the state’s cities, growing population density, and changing patterns of wealth. Deep-seated racial inequities led to urban unrest as well as political change, including such landmark legislation as the Mount Laurel decision. Today, immigration continues to shape the state, as does the tension between the needs of the suburbs, cities, and modest amounts of remaining farmland.

Professor Lurie is contributor and editor of several books, including Mapping New Jersey : an evolving landscape, and  A New Jersey anthology. She is active in many organizations, including the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance, the New Jersey Historical Commission and also of its 350th Committee. Professor Lurie has received several awards including, in 1997 the Richard J. Hughes award from the New Jersey Historical Commission. 

This free program is funded by the Friends of the Livingston Public Library and is open to all over the age of 10.

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