Words That Make New Jersey History: A Primary Source Reader, revised and expanded edition

by Howard L. Green (Editor)

Words That Make New Jersey History is a book-length collection of documents that spans the history of New Jersey, from the arrival of Dutch traders in the 1600s to the present. The materials touch on a range of subjects such as factories and farms, cities and suburbs, slavery and abolitionism, the temperance and woman suffrage campaigns, race and ethnic relations, the labor movement, and economic and environmental issues. The documents include letters, journals, pamphlets, petitions, artwork, and songs created not only by those who exercised power, but also by men and women of more humble station--immigrants, workers, slaves, foreign travelers, and civil servants. Their lively accounts range from descriptions of Native Americans in the seventeenth century to Bruce Springsteen's recent lament about a declining factory town.
   
New to this expanded edition is the text of James McGreevey's "I am a Gay American" speech, as well as entries about the Abbott v. Burke court ruling mandating that New Jersey equalize funding of urban and suburban schools districts, sprawl and its effects on water supply, and the state's economic boom in the 1990s.

A balanced survey of New Jersey's history presented in the context of a changing nation, this volume is well suited to general readers who want to explore the primary sources of the state's past, and to U.S. history students at the high school and college levels.

Genres: History

332 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1994

Reviews

[Bonny Elwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource of primary documents, telling the story of New Jersey through our own words. Each selection was fascinating and well-chosen, with succinct and useful explanatory information introducing each document. This is a resource I will refer to regularly when looking for supporting primary documents for virtually every topic of New Jersey history and culture. Images, statistics, and advertisements provided additional thought-provoking content. Together these primary sources do indeed "make New Jersey history," both through the events in the past and the interpretation in the present. I savored this book, and plan to make much more use of it in the future.

[Sawy-o · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting collection of primary documents dealing with New Jersey history from the Lenni Lenape settlement up til Governor McGreevey's resignation. The intros to the documents are well written and thought out, and readers can learn how individual incidents tie into broad national social and political trends. Valuable for anyone teaching history in New Jersey schools.