New Jersey State Symbols and Flag |
The New Jersey state flag, adopted in 1896, is based on a 1779 New
Jersey Revolutionary War standard George Washington chose to represent
the
state's
troops. The colors are a buff background and Jersey blue and are ROUTINELY
misrepresented on the web. The State seal in the center of the flag
was modeled after the insignia of the Netherlands who were the
first
European settlers
in New
Jersey.
View actual New Jersey Flag
New Jersey's State Seal
 |
The seal was designed by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and presented in
May of 1777. It represents the agricultural heritage, strength and
freedom
of New Jersey. It contains a horse's head at the
top which stands for speed and strength, a knight's helmet which faces
forward representing New Jersey's sovereignty and self-government and
in the center a shield
with three plows to represent
the
strong
agricultural heritage of New Jersey.
On either
side are two goddesses representing the State motto, "Liberty
and Prosperity".
On the left is Liberty holding a staff with a liberty cap on it.
The liberty cap was worn as a symbol of rebellion by patriots during
the
Revolution. The figure on the right is Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture
and Fertility. She is
holding
a cornucopia, filled with a bountiful harvest which symbolizes the
abundant produce of New Jersey. Beneath them on the banner is the
State motto, "Liberty
and Prosperity" and in the lower fold appears "1776" signifying
the year of independence from Britain.
Misrepresentations of New Jersey's Flag
The following are several examples of the erroneous depictions of
the New Jersey State Flag on the web. In addition to the ones shown
below,
there have been flags
with gold for the background and various other shades of yellow
and orange. Unless the background is a buff yellow - it is NOT a
valid
representation of
the
New Jersey
State
Flag.
 Britannica.com 50States.com |
 InfoPlease.com 50States.com |
 Official NJ Website |
I expected better quality from these sites, especially Britannica.com, not to mention the official New Jersey website. As for InfoPlease.com's depiction - we're not at all sure where they got the brown from, also it doesn't even come close to the correct dimensions. 50States.com is strange because their site shows both styles.
NOTE: 50States.com has changed their flag.
If you see any other misrepresented New Jersey flags and you would like to share them with others - please e-mail them to WebMaster@AboutNewJersey.com. Please include the link to the site you saw it on.
State Nickname: "The Garden State"
Believe it or not "The Garden State" nickname has never been officially voted on by the New Jersey legislature. It is a complete mystery as to who initially came up with it, and how New Jersey came to be called "The Garden State". That does not mean that it is not well earned, especially considering the long agricultural history of New Jersey.
"The Garden State" nickname was first officially used by the New Jersey government when a bill requiring it to be imprinted on all passenger car license plates was passed on December 7, 1954 over the veto of then Governor Robert B. Meyner. Prior to this there was an attempt to pass it under the previous governor in 1953 which failed. Governor Meyner's argument against the name was stated as follows...
| "...My investigation discloses
that there is no official recognition of the slogan "Garden
State" as
an identification of the State of New Jersey. It is, moreover,
obvious that New Jersey's place in the economy and life of the
nation is today attributable to its preeminence in many fields,
in addition to its acknowledged high standing in agricultural
pursuits..." --Governor Robert B. Meyner |
There is a book written by Alfred M. Heston, called "Jersey
Waggon Jaunts", published in 1926 ( Camden, NJ, Atlantic County
Historical Society, 1926), which
credits Abraham Browning with coming up with the nickname on New Jersey
Day, August 24, 1876. There however are some things in his statements
that question the validity of this. Browning is said to have
stated the following...
| (From:
Heston, Alfred M. "Jersey
Waggon Jaunts" Camden, Atlantic County (N.J.) Historical Society,
1926. Vol. 1, p. 72) A distinguished citizen of Camden, Hon. Abraham Browning , stirred the pride of Jerseymen by telling them, at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, on New Jersey Day, August 24, 1876, that our Garden State is like a huge barrel, with both ends open, one of which is plucked by New York and the other by Pennsylvania. And from Vol. 2, p. 310: |
It is well established that Benjamin Franklin is the one who termed New Jersey as "a barrel tapped at both ends".
State Song
Out of the 50 states, New Jersey is the ONLY state which does not have a state song. There have been several considered, but the state legislature has never voted on a final one. Most people consider "I'm From New Jersey" as the state song. AboutNewJersey.com does NOT support this as the state song, and instead backs the efforts of an elementary school. They wrote a beautiful song that captures New Jersey perfectly and can be used to change the image of the state.
Listen to "In New Jersey" as sung by the students of Van Holten Elementary School in Bridgewater. View the students singing "In New Jersey" at the New Jersey State House |
For more information on the state song and to listen to the other contenders, read the editorial "The New Jersey State Song - 3/15/04". You can also discuss the New Jersey State Song on our messageboard at the "New Jersey State Song" thread .
NJ State Symbols
flower:
|
purple violet (1913) |
bird: |
eastern goldfinch (1935) |
tree: |
red oak (1950) |
colors: |
buff and blue (1965) |
insect: |
honeybee (1974) |
animal: |
horse (1977) |
dance: |
square dance (1983) |
dinosaur: |
hadrosaurus foulkii (1991) |
fish: |
brook trout (1992) |
shell: |
knobbed whelk (1995) |
tall ship: |
AJ Meerwald (1998) |
fruit: |
blueberry (2004) |
|
