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Colonial New Jersey from Contact to Revolution

Dr. Mercantini will talk about the history of NJ, a center of agricultural development and key transportation network, focusing on Somerset County's role in the Crossroads of the American Revolution.

Dr. Jonathan Mercantini, Ph.D from Kean University will explore the creation of New Jersey including the development of East and West Jersey and the legacies of those separate colonies. He will contrast the issue of slavery in the two original provinces and will then discuss slavery in New Jersey generally. He will examine the state’s emergence as a center for agricultural development and as a key transportation network; and also consider tensions surrounding land ownership and taxation on the eve of the American Revolution.   Following this overview of NJ history (offered to provide context), the latter part of the program will focus specifically on Somerset County, paying particular attention to the African-American population (slave and free), the county's important role as part of the Crossroads of the American Revolution, and the ways in which the revolutionary era set the stage for the further development of the county.

The Somerset County Library System of New Jersey Common Heritage initiative has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these Library programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Will you need a special accommodation (including food allergy if applicable to the program)? If so, please contact the library and provide at least two weeks notice prior to the event date and the library will make every effort to honor all requests. Thereafter, requests will still be considered and may have less of a chance of being honored.

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