New Jersey was the last of the Northern states to abolish slavery completely. The 1860 census listed at least 43 people in New Jersey as slaves, the youngest being 11 and oldest being 95. Thirty eight of these people were enslaved for life.

New Jersey Slavery Records is a searchable database that documents the history of slavery in our communities using archival sources and digital maps. You can explore the database in multiple ways: To see events by geographic location, you can also use the MAP. For more detailed guidance, see our Research Guides:

Feb 9, 2023 · By 1801, New Jersey had an enslaved population estimated at about 12,000 people. New Jersey officially abolished slavery in 1804, but it was a gradual process of emancipation. In reality, many African Americans remained enslaved until after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Imagine, New Jersey’s death grip on slavery meant that until December 1865, six months after enslaved men, women, and children in Texas found out they were cheated of their freedom, approximately 16 African Americans were still technically enslaved …

At the start of the Civil War, New Jersey citizens owned 18 "apprentices for life" (the federal census listed them as "slaves") -- legal slaves by any name. "New Jersey's emancipation law carefully protected existing property rights.

Social and economic trends in East and West Jersey help to explain why New Jersey was the last northern state to abolish slavery. West Jersey was less densely populated, since much of the land was sandy loam unsuited to agriculture.

In 1800, there were 12,422 slaves in New Jersey, comprising 5.8 percent of the population. Price points out that slavery, while of some value to rural New Jersey, was proving impractical to the growing industrial towns of Newark, Jersey City and Paterson.

By 1757, more than 6,000 slaves came into New York Harbor and an additional 600 entered through Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Duties imposed on slaves from the West Indies suggest that most of these enslaved persons were brought directly from Africa.

Intensification of slavery in New Jersey. By 1640, the Dutch New Netherland colony was firmly established, and the West India Company intensified their efforts to settle the colony and provide settlers the resources needed to succeed.

Slavery and Emancipation Laws in 19th Century New Jersey is a class offered by Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick. Originally presented to celebrate Juneteenth in 2018, the links and information have been updated in 2024.