New Jersey-A History, by Thomas Flemming, provides a clear and unbiased historical account from the early stages of this colony far into its birth as a state separate from imperialistic England. Although his historical account tends to be incomplete at times and a few misconceptions are evident, he touches on the many important points in New Jersey history, pointing out that, by observing how this state has dealt with her divisions is instructive, “for it demonstrates on a small scale how Americans have dealt with alarming social conflicts.”1Fleming begins his historical account of New Jersey when the English first began their involvement, yet this cannot be considered the beginning of New Jersey history. To fully understand the roots of the social and economic conflicts, the settlement and early economy must be examined. Paul G. E. Clemens, author of The Uses of Abundance, points out that New Jersey’s first settlers were the Lenape. The economic history begins here at a time when people survived by farming in small villages and were pre-occupied by the demands of growing food. They were, in fact, quite successful, a feat that was accomplished by a balance between food and population supply. Unlike the many greedy European settlers who soon were to invade their home, they had no desire to build up their wealth and obtained all of their necessary goods through labor instead of trading with other communities.2The elimination of the Original People was not caused a single group of settlers, which most colonies had experienced, but three diverse peoples from three nations. The Dutch arrived first in 1629 and were followed by Swedish traders. The English did not disembark until the 1660s, at which point Fleming begins his commentary, leaving the reader questioning exactly what kind of situation the British Empire had entered.3 When historians take on the task of writing about the Revolutionary War, it tends to be ...
