New Jersey

New Jersey was home to a mixed economy (agrarian, ironworks, and lumber) and it was a place where contradictory views regarding race, class, gender, and loyalty played out in conflicts throughout the state, earning the nickname, the “Crossroads of the American Revolution.” When independence came in July 1776, the state faced extraordinary military pressure as British and Hessian troops massed nearby, and it saw more battles on its soil than any other state. Allegiances shifted constantly—even Declaration signer Richard Stockton briefly swore an oath to the Crown—and at times Loyalists outnumbered Patriots. The state, like all others, embodied a stark contradiction regarding liberty. Colonists decried British “slavery” while enslaving thousands. Enslaved men like Cudjo Banquante won freedom through service, while others such as Colonel Tye fought for the British.