Time to be Red Pilled

Happy Juneteenth! Modern historians would have you believe that the northern states entered the Civil War for the purpose of freeing slaves and on June 19th 1865, the last of these slaves were set free. The reality is, New Jersey was the last northern state to end slavery, three years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, ten months after the end of the Civil War, and seven months after Juneteenth.

Why was New Jersey, a state that fought against the Confederacy during the war, still keeping slaves? Why didn’t Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation free any slaves in the northern states? Why did the southern states secede to keep slavery in 1861, when only four years earlier, the Dred Scott decision codified slavery into national law? This decision made slavery the law of the land.

If slavery was the South’s most important issue and the Supreme Court ruled they could keep their slaves, why did they choose to leave the Union? Did we even fight a Civil War, or was this conflict a war of succession? What’s the difference? If you attended public school, there’s a significant chance that you aren’t ready for the answers to these questions.

Slavery in the North Did Not End With the Emancipation Proclamation

While Juneteenth marks a pivotal moment in American history—the announcement of emancipation to the enslaved in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865—many overlook the troubling persistence of slavery in Northern states like New Jersey. Contrary to widespread belief, the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, did not end slavery in every corner of the United States. Its reach was limited to the Confederate states, excluding slaveholding territories under Union control. New Jersey, a Northern state, clung to the institution of slavery well beyond Juneteenth and did not officially abolish it until January 23, 1866.

This comprehensive historical analysis sheds light on New Jersey’s reluctant path toward abolition, detailing the political resistance, economic incentives, and social dynamics that prolonged slavery in the state longer than in any other Northern jurisdiction.

A State Resistant to Change: New Jersey’s Opposition to the Thirteenth Amendment

Despite its Union allegiance during the Civil War, New Jersey was uniquely resistant to federally mandated abolition. When the Thirteenth Amendment was passed by Congress in January 1865 to formally abolish slavery and involuntary servitude, New Jersey’s legislature voted against ratifying it. It was not until January 23, 1866, under the administration of Governor Marcus L. Ward, a Republican, that New Jersey finally ratified the amendment, making it the last Northern state to do so.

Key Points:

• New Jersey initially rejected the Thirteenth Amendment in March 1865.
• The state reversed its position under Republican Governor Ward, whose first official act was ratifying the amendment on January 23, 1866.
• Approximately 16 African Americans remained enslaved in New Jersey after Juneteenth.

Economic Dependency: Slavery’s Financial Footprint in New Jersey

Slavery was not a Southern-only economic engine. Northern cities—including Newark, New Brunswick, and Jersey City—benefited from slavery through shipping, finance, and trade. Many of New Jersey’s wealthiest families and political elites had direct or indirect ties to slavery, including:

• Profits from slave labor in Southern plantations via textile and shipping industries.
• Investments in insurance policies on enslaved individuals.
• Employment of “apprenticed” Black children, a euphemism often used to continue forced labor under the guise of legality post-abolition.

These economic interests provided strong incentives to maintain the status quo. As late as the 1850s, the state still had numerous laws protecting the rights of slaveholders and restricting Black civil liberties.

Political Will and Social Resistance

The state’s political class was divided. While some progressive lawmakers and abolitionists advocated for immediate emancipation, the majority of New Jersey legislators upheld pro-slavery policies, citing property rights, economic dependency, and fears of social upheaval.

Notable Figures:

• Governor Marcus L. Ward: Elected in 1865, he was a strong Unionist and abolitionist. His leadership marked a significant turning point.
• Noelle Lorraine Williams, director of the African American History Program at the New Jersey Historical Commission, notes how the “death grip” of slavery endured in the state long after its formal abolition elsewhere.

Resistance Movements:

Despite the legislative inertia, grassroots efforts by Black abolitionists, Quaker communities, and some white allies fought against slavery through:

• Underground Railroad routes across South Jersey.
• Public speeches and petitions to the legislature.
• Black-led churches that served as organizing hubs.

Timeline: New Jersey’s Delayed Abolition of Slavery

    1804 : Gradual Emancipation Law passed; slavery persists for decades
    1863 : Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation
    1865-06-19 : Juneteenth — slaves in Texas learn of emancipation
    1865-12 : Thirteenth Amendment ratified nationally (NJ refuses)
    1866-01-23 : NJ ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment under Gov. Ward

Cultural Amnesia: New Jersey’s Forgotten Role in Slavery

Public memory has often sanitized New Jersey’s role in slavery. While Southern states are more overtly associated with the institution, New Jersey maintained a discreet yet powerful system of bondage. School curricula, public monuments, and civic discourse have largely omitted these uncomfortable truths.

Juneteenth in Context: Why New Jersey’s Story Matters

Juneteenth’s elevation to a national holiday has sparked renewed interest in how different states responded to emancipation. In New Jersey, it is not just a celebration of freedom, but also a somber reminder of the freedom that was withheld by Democrats in the North, even after federal action.

Contrasts with Texas:

Conclusion: Reckoning With a Complicated Legacy

New Jersey’s reluctant journey to emancipation challenges the oversimplified narrative of a North uniformly opposed to slavery. It compels us to re-examine regional history with clarity and honesty. The fight for freedom did not end with a proclamation; it required continual struggle, legislative pressure, and the unwavering commitment of Republican abolitionists fighting northern slave owners.

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