States from A-Z: New Jersey and New Mexico

New Jersey is the Garden State:

After Rhode Island, Delaware and Connecticut, New Jersey is the fourth smallest state of the United States of America, yet at the same time the one with the highest population density. It was named after Jersey, one of the British Channel Islands. It is among the most important centers of industry in the US. The Eastern part of the state, that has the Hudson river and lies within the metropolitan area of New York, which is the biggest city in the US, is very densely populated. The four biggest cities, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson and Elizabeth are all within that area. The capital is Trenton, which is important as a center for trade and industry. Most important to its industry is food, printing and publishing, ceramics, rubber, plastic and metal goods. Among many other historical buildings, the town house with the golden dome (built in 1792) and William Trent’s old house, built in 1719, are particularly worth seeing. (The town of Trenton was named after William Trent.) Trenton became the capital of New Jersey in 1790. By the middle of the 19^th century, the town had become one of the most progressive centers of industry throughout the US. The iron and steel industry that had come to Trenton in the middle of the 18^th century, experienced a further significant boom in 1849 with the production of steel cable. Today, the capital has a population of approximately 92,000 people.

The first settlers came to the area that is today New Jersey in 1609. In the beginning, New Jersey, together with what today is the state of New York, formed the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which was conquered by the British in 1664. About 100 battles were fought in New Jersey during the War of Independence, among them Trenton in 1776, Princeton in 1777 and Monmouth in 1778. For a short time, the first government of the US organized by the Continental Congress was located in New Jersey, in 1783 it was in Princeton and in 1784 in Trenton. One of the original 13 colonies, New Jersey was the third state to ratify the United States Constitution.

From an agricultural to an industrial state

Industry in New Jersey makes up more than 18% of the annual GNP. The state is among the leading producers of chemicals. This includes petrochemical products, pharmaceuticals and basic substances like sulfuric acid. Further products include printing and publishing products, industrial machinery, precision instruments, electronic devices, food stuffs, clothing and fabrics, stone ware products and china, glass and paper products. Until the 1820s, New Jersey was a mostly agricultural state. Industry started becoming important in 1840, when Paterson, which already was a center of the textile industry, started producing armaments and locomotives. The American Civil War gave the next impetus for industrialization. By 1900 the population had increased to more than 900,000. Paterson became a symbol for bitter labor disputes at the beginning of the 20^th century, as factory workers fought for better working conditions and wages.

After World War II New Jersey’s economy grew and population increased. Around 1960, it was one of the eight most populous states. During the 1970s and 1980s, the construction of a new containerization center in the port of Newark, the expansion of Newark International Airport, the construction of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford and the establishment of casinos in Atlantic City created new jobs for New Jersey. In the 1990s, New Jersey also became known for its seaside resorts, its efficient farming and its emerging service sector. Real GDP per capita was at $ 44,885 in 2006, which puts New Jersey in place five in the national ranking (national real GDP average of the 50 states: $ 37,714). Former US president Grover Cleveland was born in New Jersey, former president Woodrow Wilson spent most of his childhood there. The service sector is gradually becoming the most vital part of New Jersey’s economy. The biggest challenges the state is facing today are environmental protection, redevelopment of the cities and reform of the school system.

New Mexico: The land of enchantment

New Mexico was named by Spanish conquerors who used the name for the area North and East of the Rio Grande. Its scenic attractions and well-preserved historical sights make it an ideal place for sightseeing. In addition, the consistent use of the adobe architecture even in modern times makes capital Santa Fe and Albuquerque a different experience from the usually very uniform look of American cities in the West. Already in the 12^th century, a Native American settlement was where the capital is today. The Spanish first settled there in the 16^th century. In 1610 Santa Fe became the seat of the governor of the Province of Nuevo Mejico in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. That makes Santa Fe the oldest capital in the US. The famous British Pilgrims with their ship Mayflower arrived more than ten years later at the East Coast of what today is known as the US.

Native Americans had to yield to the Spanish

Native American tribes had lived in the area long before Europeans started exploring it. They had their settlements near the rivers or in the back-country. Great cultures emerged in the Southwest of what is today the US between 1000 and 1300 AD, among them the Anasazi and Chaco. These cultures disappeared – probably due to climate changes – during the 13^th and 14^th century. When the Spanish conqueror Coronado roamed the country in search of the seven golden cities of Cibola, Pueblo peoples – Hopi and Zuni in particular – were living there. After the conquerors, Spanish missionaries and settlers arrived. Frequently, conflicts arose between the Natives and the immigrants. As in Mexico before, the Spanish soon oppressed the Natives and drove them off the land. In 1680 the Pueblo people formed an alliance with the Apache people and briefly succeeded in driving away the Spanish. However, the conquerors prevailed in the end. Until 1821 New Mexico was under Spanish rule, after that it was under Mexican rule until 1846. During the Mexican rule, trade with the settlements on the Missouri River via the Santa Fe Trail was established. This trade not only affected the economy, but also politics and culture of the Spanish region that until then had been a rather secluded one. On August 15, 1846, Stephen Watts Kearny proclaimed New Mexico part of the United States. In 1853 the southernmost part of the state, formerly part of Mexico, was purchased (the Gadsden Purchase Treaty). As secession began, New Mexico was, for a short time, divided along the 34^th parallel into a northern and a southern part. However, in 1863 it was finally divided into an eastern and western part, creating the territory that became Arizona and drawing the borders where they still are today. With the construction of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway, New Mexico experienced its first economic boom in the 1880s. Finally, on January 6, 1912, New Mexico was admitted into the United States as the 47^th state.

 

Compared to the rest of the United States, population growth in New Mexico is way above average. Between 1990 and 2000, the growth rate was at 20.1 percent. This is a result of the high numbers of immigrants from Mexico and other Latin-American states, but also of the positive economic development. One significant example for legal and illegal immigration of people from the South is the town of Las Cruces near the Mexican border. While 30 years ago the population of the city had not even reached 30,000, today it has a population of roughly 75,000 – two-and-a-half times as much as 30 years ago. This has made Las Cruces the second biggest city of New Mexico. Farming (corn, wheat, sorghum and cotton) is – due to very dry and hot summers – only possible with the help of irrigation. Livestock breeding is a vital part of the New Mexican economy. Also, New Mexico is the United States’ greatest uranium supplier. It also produces crude oil, natural gas and potassium salt. Real GDP was at $ 31,986 in 2006, which puts New Mexico in place 40 in the national ranking.