The Birthplace of Religious Freedom and Land Ownership.
“Where Hudson’s men fund “Grass and flowers and godly trees as ever they had seen,” now stands Jersey City, one of the most important cities of the new world.”
Not many realize a historical association with Jersey City in what most Americans enjoy today – Freedom of worship and the right to own property.
“Like The Netherlands, Jersey city is considered to be "diverse" and "tolerant", a place where many people from different ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds interact on a daily basis while still maintaining their distinct identities.”
Going through history, one would easily observe the connection between Jersey City, New Jersey, and New Netherland. But not as quickly brought to mind is the important role what is now Jersey City played in the establishment of religious Freedom and recognition of the right to own property.
At the time New Netherland split, bringing the creation of New Jersey and Jersey City, it was a society with a high degree of homogeneity in culture, religion, race, and ethnicity. The freedoms birth on Jersey City's soil is a major influencing factor in the uniqueness it holds today.
Embedded in the Articles of Transfer that made New Netherland cede to the English is the provision that makes the right to Freedom of worship legal and binding. As a dweller, the agreement meant that one could worship as one wishes and form attachments with one's desired religion. Today, this very law has found its way into the United States of America's state and national constitution. It has affected the way the world perceives all the freedoms that come along with being an American. Many cultural symbols in Jersey City authenticates the fact that it is home to different cultures, religions, and distinct elements.
People live and feel fulfilled when they find a voice to express their perceptions about their religious choices, a piece of history woven into the fabric of Jersey City.
Not just the birthplace of religious freedom, Jersey City is also home to the solidification and recognition and protection of privately owned land. Until then, all land was said to be owned by the British crown, with parcels of ground parceled temporarily to others to develop on. The creation of "home rule," wherein local government or small colony can prevent the interference in certain areas, allowing inhabitants the Freedom to enjoy the land resources without the fear of others' invasive actions.
Both sets of these individual rights were initially established to entice new settlers to move to New Netherlands. Rights not permitted at the time in many countries across the world.
Posterity depends on history for its birth. The boom, tranquil, and cultural diffusion in New Jersey is all thanks to the earlier centuries' heroic contributions – leading to the region's acceptance, irrespective of the ethnic, religious, and racial differences.
Today, what many see when they look at Jersey City is a populous city with high religious consciousness and heterogeneous religious groups. The city is blessed with international appeal, making it one of the places to visit for people entering the United States.
The people have a free spirit that speaks of happiness, industry, spirituality, and culture. Freedom is at its peak in Jersey City with its vibrant economy, government, media, transportation system, educational institution, and other functional areas and speaks volumes to the community's racial and religious diversity. But striking of it all is the coexistence between its residents without religious intolerance. It shows how history set the culture of oneness in Jersey City for others to model after.
