New Jersey State Day, Motto, and Nickname

STATE DAY December 18 STATUS Unofficial DATE OF ADMISSION TO UNITED STATES December 18, 1787 RANKING IN STATE ADMISSION 3rd FORMER DESIGNATION New Netherland HISTORY Anti-British sentiment flourished in New Jersey and eventually the colony became a focal point for the independence movement. With public agitation and inflammatory rhetoric increasing through "Committees of Correspondence," New Jersey provincial congress created a constitution and declared itself an independent state in June of 1776. The state was strategically and centrally located, thus more battles were fought on its soil than any other state. The battle of Trenton, which is considered by some historians to be a pivotal point in the Revolutionary War, took place on the soil that would later become the state’s capital. Many other engagements were fought in New Jersey as well, including the battles for Princeton and Monmouth, which were decisive for the colonists in their bid for independence. MOTTO "Liberty and prosperity" This motto is part of the Great Seal of New Jersey, which was created in October of 1776. NICKNAMES "The Garden State," "The Crossroads of the Revolution," "The Tomato State" "Garden State," (currently used on license plates) is attributed to an historical figure, the Honorable Abraham Browning, who referred to New Jersey as a "Garden State" in one of his speeches. "The Crossroads of the Revolution:" New Jersey is centrally located in the area of the original 13 colonies. Because of this, both British and Colonial forces crisscrossed the state many times and many battles were fought there. The nickname "The Tomato State" is owed to the fact that the Jersey tomato, famous for its quality, has been designated the state vegetable.  -World Trade Press