New Jersey

There were so many basic things our state underwent during this period of time that we take advantage of today; like all the means of transportation, different formats of education, and jobs in every field possible. In unit ten, it covers some of the virtual beginnings of all these things that our society classifies as the essentials of every day living. New Jersey is well recognized from the beginning of all these changes.

All around New Jersey there was an overall transformation in the business field. Everything was at a turning point around the 1880’s. The construction of the railroad system played one of the key roles in the positive change. The Railroads created so many life changes to benefit the lives and lifestyles of all New Jersey residents. It was the beginning of true money making period, this was a time of great expansion which turned over the old industries into new industries. The railroads created a national market that enabled businesses and New Jersey farmers to expand from a regional trade to a nationwide scale of business and trade. This lead to a dramatic expansion in New Jersey’s importing and exporting system. Means of transportation for NJ residents became more and more productive. The rise of the trolleys (electric street cars) began around 1890; they ran from the tops of the car to overhead electric lines which brought power to the street car engines. This invention along with the railroads was the start of getting rid of horse cars.

Another major change during this era was the thriving change towards the importance of education. Education never played a leading part to most New Jersey families. About seventy two percent of all city children left school before the eighth

grade. Most children dropped out when they become old enough to work in the local factories. Many famous Institutes arose during this time in NJ. One of the most famous ; until this day is Newark Technical Institute, as well as Stevens...