Editing New Jersey (section)

===19th century===
{{Main|New Jersey in the 19th century|New Jersey in the American Civil War}}
[[File:Line of the Morris Canal, New Jersey, 1827.jpg|thumb|Map of the {{Convert|107|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} [[Morris Canal]], which crosses the state]]
On February 15, 1804, New Jersey became the last northern state to [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolish]] new [[slavery]] and enacted legislation that slowly phased out existing slavery. This led to a gradual decrease of the slave population. By the [[American Civil War]]'s end, about a dozen African Americans in New Jersey were still held in bondage.<ref>James Gigantino, The Ragged Road to Abolition: Slavery and Freedom in New Jersey, 1775–1865</ref> New Jersey voters eventually ratified the constitutional amendments banning slavery and granting rights to the United States' black population.

Industrialization accelerated in the present-day [[North Jersey]] region of the state following completion of the [[Morris Canal]] in 1831. The canal allowed for [[anthracite|anthracite coal]] to be transported from eastern [[Pennsylvania]]'s [[Lehigh Valley]] to North Jersey's growing industries in [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]], [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], and [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].

In 1844, the second [[New Jersey State Constitution|state constitution]] was ratified and brought into effect. Counties thereby became districts for the state senate, and some realignment of boundaries (including the creation of [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer County]]) immediately followed. This provision was retained in the 1947 Constitution, but was overturned by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in 1962, by the decision ''[[Baker v. Carr]]''. While the Governorship was stronger than under the 1776 constitution, the constitution of 1844 created many offices that were not responsible to him, or to the people, and it gave him a three-year term, but he could not succeed himself.

New Jersey was one of the few Union states (the others being [[Delaware]] and [[Kentucky]]) to select a candidate other than [[Abraham Lincoln]] twice in national elections, and sided with [[Stephen A. Douglas]] (1860) and [[George B. McClellan]] (1864) during their campaigns. McClellan, a native Philadelphian, had New Jersey ties and formally resided in New Jersey at the time; he later became Governor of New Jersey (1878–81). (In New Jersey, the factions of the Democratic party managed an effective coalition in 1860.) During the [[American Civil War]], the state was led first by Republican governor [[Charles Smith Olden]], then by Democrat [[Joel Parker (politician)|Joel Parker]]. During the course of the war, between 65,000 and 80,000 soldiers from the state enlisted in the Union army; unlike many states, including some Northern ones, no battle was fought there.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Horowitz|first=Ben|date=June 23, 2015|title=10 facts about New Jersey and the Civil War|url=https://www.nj.com/morris/2015/06/ten_facts_about_new_jersey_and_the_civil_war.html|access-date=February 23, 2021|website=nj|archive-date=April 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415013550/https://www.nj.com/morris/2015/06/ten_facts_about_new_jersey_and_the_civil_war.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[Industrial Revolution]], cities like [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson]] grew and prospered. Previously, the economy had been largely agrarian, which was problematically subject to crop failures and poor soil. This caused a shift to a more [[industrialization|industrialized]] economy, one based on manufactured commodities such as textiles and silk. [[List of inventors|Inventor]] [[Thomas Edison]] also became an important figure of the Industrial Revolution, having been [[List of Edison patents|granted 1,093 patents]], many of which for inventions he developed while working in New Jersey. Edison's facilities, first at [[Menlo Park, New Jersey|Menlo Park]] and then in [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]], are considered perhaps the first [[research center]]s in the United States. Christie Street in Menlo Park was the first thoroughfare in the world to have electric lighting. Transportation was greatly improved as [[locomotive|locomotion]] and [[steamboat]]s were introduced to New Jersey.

[[Iron ore|Iron]] mining was also a leading industry during the middle to late 19th century. [[Bog iron]] pits in the [[New Jersey Pine Barrens]] were among the first sources of iron for the new nation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Pinelands/BogIron.htm|title=Usgennet.org|publisher=Usgennet.org|access-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514000706/http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/county/atlantic/Pinelands/BogIron.htm|archive-date=May 14, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mines such as Mt. Hope, Mine Hill, and the Rockaway Valley Mines created a thriving industry. Mining generated the impetus for new towns and was one of the driving forces behind the need for the [[Morris Canal]]. [[Zinc]] mines were also a major industry, especially the [[Sterling Hill Mine]].