December 13, 2011

0069 UNITED STATES (New Jersey) - New Jersey map


The fourth U.S. state entered into my collection is the fourth smallest, but is also the most densely populated one. New Jersey, since to him I refer, is among the thirteen original states of the Union, but may be considered the third in order of admission, because it was the third which has ratified the United States Constitution on 18 December 1787. The two goals expressed in the state motto, Liberty and Prosperity, are so comprehensive that hardly you could add something next to them.

First colonized by the Dutch, from who the British took it by force, New Jersey (and not only it) reached in 1661 in the hands of two friends, Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton, who received large grant of land in American colonies as a reward for loyalty to King Charles II during the English Civil War. That part of New Netherland was named after the largest of the Channel Islands, where George Carteret had been born. I admit that I didn't know this until I received the postcard from Jersey.

În 1673, Berkeley sold his half of the colony to Quakers in England, who settled the Delaware Valley region as a Quaker colony. In 1680 George Carteret died, and two years later East Jersey was also sold at auction to twelve men, one of whom was William Penn. The price paid was £3400 sterling.

During the American Revolution many major battles were fought here making it pivotal in the ultimate victory of the American colonists. Instead in the Civil War was not fought any battle within New Jersey, the last northerner state that has abolished slavery and the only one which rejected Abraham Lincoln twice in presidential elections. Even after a hundred years, racial tensions hasn't disappeared, exploding in riots in 1964 and 1967.

On the map, in addition to the state bird (the gold finch), the state flower (the violet) and neighbors (New York, Atlantic Ocean, Pennsylvania and Delaware), appear (as on any such map) sights and activities representative for the state (from top to bottom or from North to South, if you want):

● High Point Monument (550m), in Montague
● Mountain Creek Ski Resort, in Vernon Township
● Ringwood State Park, in Roingwood
● Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, in Readington Township
● Delawar Water Gap
● George Washington Bridge, connecting Manhattan (New York City) to Fort Lee (New Jersey)
● MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford
● Meadowlands Racetrack, a horse racing track in East Rutherford
● Red Mill Museum Village, in Clinton
● Nassau Hall at Princeton University
● Windsurfing
● Kingda Ka, the roller coaster from Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson
● Barnegat Lighthouse
● Adventure Aquarium (formerly the New Jersey State Aquarium), in Camden
● Pine Barrens
● Delaware Memorial Bridge- Casino of Atlantic City
● Cap May Lighthouse

Two of the stamps are new First-Class Forever, issued in December 1st, 2010, and feature world-recognized symbols of the United States: the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. They were designed as a se-tenant pair by Terry McCaffrey who used existing photographs to create the designs: the photograph of the Statue of Liberty was taken by Raimund Linke, and the photograph of the U.S. flag is by Ron Watts. About the third stamp, The American Clock, I wrote here.


sender: Barb Campbell (walltype)

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