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Department of State

New Jersey Historical Commission

The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State
Moll Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth. Monmouth County Historical Association. Gift of Mrs. Delphine B. O’Donnell.

History Resources/Audience Development

Recent NJHC Resources | Revolution NJ Resources | Workshop Resources/Audience Development | Heritage Tourism | Memoriams | Museums | Societies & Associations | Libraries | Legislative Resources | Other NJ History Websites

Recent NJHC Resources

Never Forget Webinar Recording

A recording of our recent webinar Never Forget: The Slave Trade and Middle Passage on New Jersey's Shores is now available. We are also pleased to share answers to a list of questions the panelists were not able to address during the session.

New Jersey’s shores were sites for the international slave trade in the eighteenth century. This panel, recorded on Wednesday, February 23, at 6 p.m., honored the lives of the people sold here, shared the history of the Middle Passage in New Jersey and highlighted the recently installed historical markers that memorialize this injustice. Feature panelists included Ann Chinn, Director of the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project; Derek Davis, Board Member, Camden County Historical Society; and William Galeta, Independent Scholar. The panel will be moderated by Noelle Lorraine Williams. RJ McDowell, the daughter of New Jersey's beloved poet and author Sandra Turner Barnes, recited two of her mother's poems in her honor.

This panel is the fourth in the African American History Program series Black Is: African American History and Sites in New Jersey.


COVID-19 Resources for New Jersey History and Cultural Organizations


New Jersey’s Indigenous Voices Speaker Series

The NJ Historical Commission is hosting a series of virtual programs to facilitate a deeper and more complex public understanding of Indigenous history and life in New Jersey and beyond the state’s colonized borders. This series was made possible with support from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and developed in partnership with the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs. Please see below links to past recordings and resources:

New Jersey Indigenous History Education
New Jersey Indigenous Education Report

Sharing the Continuing Story of Indigenous Peoples in New Jersey
Sharing the Continuing Story of Indigenous Peoples in New Jersey Webinar Recording
Sharing the Continuing Story of Indigenous Peoples in New Jersey Resources List

Exploring Indigeneity: Native Identity and Expression
Exploring Indigeneity: Native Identity and Expression Webinar Recording

Native American Mascots: Creating Change in New Jersey
Native American Mascots: Creating Change in New Jersey Webinar Recording


New Jersey, The Last Northern State to End Slavery
By Noelle Lorraine Williams, Director, African American History Program, New Jersey Historical Commission

In June 2021, the NJHC marked the state’s newest state holiday, Juneteenth, by exploring the people, laws, and economic leaders that kept African Americans enslaved in New Jersey until 1865. This essay discusses the origins of Juneteenth and New Jersey’s singular relationship with the holiday.

On June 16, 2021, Noelle moderated a panel of that same name featuring Dr. James Amemasor, Will Likely Endeavor to Pass for Free’: Runaway Slave Advertisements in New Jersey Newspapers, 1777-1808, and Dr. James J. Gigantino, The Ragged Road to Abolition: Slavery and Freedom in New Jersey, 1775-1865. Check out a recording of the event.

The NJHC marked the day of Juneteenth with a virtual conversation between Noelle and New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way about the holiday and its legacy in the state. Don’t miss the full conversation to learn more.

Revolution NJ Resources

Revolution NJ is a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission and the nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution (Crossroads) to plan the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in New Jersey. The initiative has developed the following resources for organizations and individuals seeking to learn more and plan for the 250th. More information is also available on the Crossroads website.

Share Your Suggestions for Revolution NJ

Revolution NJ is opening a virtual Suggestion Box to gather the best ideas for commemorating the 250th. Do you have an idea for a program, event or activity that should be an official part of Revolution NJ? Add it to the suggestion box.

New Jersey Social Studies Survey Results
Revolution NJ Strategic Framework

Executive Summary
Full Document - Strategic Framework

Revolution NJ Interpretative Framework

One Pager
Full Document - Interpretative Framework

Crossroads Site and Visitor Readiness Assessment

Executive Summary - Visitor Readiness Assessment
Full Report
Appendices
List of Sites by Market Potential
List of Sites by County
Visitor Readiness & Site Assessment Frequently Asked Questions

Workshop Resources/Audience Development

2016 and 2017:
Understanding Audience Needs Through Evaluation -
Evaluation Definitions and Tips

March 2015:
Serving Audiences in New Ways -
Catherine Fukushima and Robert Kiihne

September 2014:
Understanding Audiences -
Max von Balgooy

Legislative Resources

To assist New Jersey legislators, the New Jersey Historical Commission distributes a monthly newsletter titled Past Matters. In addition, we have created historical briefings to provide context on legislative debates.

Historical Briefings
Affordable Housing, March 2024
Open Public Records Act, May 2024

Issues of Past Matters
March 2024
April 2024
May 2024
June 2024
July 2024
August 2024
September 2024

 

 


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