New Jersey in the American Civil War facts for kids
The state of New Jersey in the United States played an important role for the Union during the American Civil War. Even though no major battles were fought in New Jersey, its soldiers, volunteers, and factories helped the Union cause. Important leaders from New Jersey included Philip Kearny and George B. McClellan. McClellan led the main Union army, called the Army of the Potomac. He also ran for President of the United States in 1864 against his former boss, Abraham Lincoln.
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Slavery in New Jersey
The Quaker people in New Jersey strongly disliked slavery. However, New Jersey was the last northern state to fully end slavery. It first used a system where formerly enslaved people had to work as apprentices before becoming completely free.
New Jersey passed a law in 1804 to slowly end slavery. By 1830, most Black people in the state were free. Still, even when the Civil War ended, about a dozen African-Americans in New Jersey were still working as apprentices. New Jersey at first did not want to approve the new laws that banned slavery across the country. The state was also a big part of the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
New Jersey's Role in the Civil War
On May 4, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln asked for soldiers. The U.S. War Department told New Jersey to provide three groups of infantry soldiers. These soldiers would serve for three years. People joined up all over the state. On May 21, the 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry joined the Union Army in Trenton. The 9th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was the last New Jersey group to leave the state in 1861. But it was the first one to fight in a battle. More groups of soldiers, including cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and artillery (soldiers who use cannons), were formed throughout the war.
No battles happened in New Jersey during the Civil War. However, more than 88,000 soldiers from New Jersey served in 52 different groups. About 23,116 of these soldiers fought in the Army of the Potomac. New Jersey soldiers mostly fought in the Eastern part of the Civil War. More than 6,000 New Jersey soldiers died in the war.
Important Leaders from New Jersey
Philip Kearny was an officer who had fought in the Mexican–American War. He led a group of New Jersey soldiers. Kearny was a very skilled officer during the Peninsula Campaign. He was promoted to a high rank, major general.
Another important officer from New Jersey was Major General Gershom Mott from Trenton. He led groups of soldiers and even temporarily led a whole army corps. Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was one of the first officers to be hurt in the war. He fought in the famous Battle of Gettysburg. He also led cavalry for General Sherman in the Atlanta Campaign. After the war, he became an ambassador to Chile.
Other important generals from New Jersey included George W. Taylor, Charles A. Heckman, Joseph W. Revere, Charles G. Harker, and Theodore Runyon.
New Jersey's Political Views
On March 24, 1863, New Jersey's lawmakers passed a resolution about the war. They spoke out against certain things. For example, they were against military rules being used on people in states that supported the Union. They also did not like arrests without a warrant. They were against the President's power to free all enslaved people in certain states. They also did not want public money spent on freeing or supporting enslaved people.
New Jersey was one of the few states that voted for Stephen A. Douglas instead of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election. The people of New Jersey also voted for George McClellan when he ran against Lincoln in the election of 1864. New Jersey was the only free state that voted against Lincoln twice. McClellan later became the governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881.
War Production and Growth
Many cities in New Jersey, like Paterson and Camden, became very strong during the Civil War. They made many important things for the war effort. This included clothing and war materials like ammunition. These cities continued to grow and do well even after the war ended. Cities like Paterson and Camden were very important to the Union's ability to fight. Because the Union could make more supplies, it was able to defeat the Confederates. This helped to successfully end the war and bring the country back together.
See also
In Spanish: Nueva Jersey en la Guerra de Secesión para niños
