The Garden State & Presidential History

Autumn in New Jersey - Changing Colors & Light

Last night, my daughter caught a little bit of the final Presidential debate and asked some interesting questions. I've always found the workings of government fascinating, so this warmed my heart. In that spirit, I thought we would have some fun with a quick history class, Jersey style. Don't worry, there is no quiz.


These days, there seems to be an oversupply of reality shows taking place in the Garden State. We have Cake Boss, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jersey Shore, Jerseylicious, and Married to Jonas, just to name a few of the programs set here. But over the years, New Jersey also has been home to some of the greatest minds the world has ever known, including Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison.


With Election Day just two weeks from today, here are some Presidential connections:

• George Washington crossed the Delaware River at Trenton.
• George Washington and his troops retreated to the north after the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, and set up headquarters in Morristown.  
• Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell and died in Princeton.
• Richard Nixon lived in Saddle River and Park Ridge in Bergen County.
• Woodrow Wilson was a professor at Princeton University, eventually becoming its President.
• Woodrow Wilson was Governor of New Jersey.
• The famous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton took place in Weehawken on July 11, 1804. Burr was Thomas Jefferson's Vice President at the time, and Hamilton had previously been the first Secretary of the Treasury, chosen by George Washington.
• Ulysses S. Grant spent summers at the beach in Long Branch, naming it the nation's "summer capital" in 1869.
• Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park pays tribute to Grant and six other Presidents who spent time in Long Branch.

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Autumn in New Jersey - Silhouette