When was newark nj founded

Treat, through Samuel Edsal, an interpreter of the Lenni Lenape tongue and land-owner in Bergen Neck, negotiated with the Indian proprietors a deed of sale for the land. The natives probably felt this was a good bargain, since it provided knives, guns, axes and other goods useful in their lives. It is storied that Elizabeth Swaine, daughter of Captain Samuel Swain, a leader among the settlers was the first to be assisted to the land in May , by Josiah Ward who she later married.

The land was described as rich and the river and bay teaming with seafood. Forests of oak, chestnut, hickory, elm, maple including sugar maple provided for energy and building material.

White cedar swamp occupied much of what are now the Hackensack meadowlands. Fresh water was at hand. Salt hay meadows provided for easy grazing of cattle.

Deer, elk, beaver, otters, fox and wolves were plentiful. Wolves were the only animals to cause concern. Morris, Sergt. Richard Beckly, Richard Harrison, Thomas Blatchley, Edward Riggs, Stephen Freeman and Thomas Johnson were charged with distribution of home lot six acres and to act on behalf of those who would come by June of the next year. A public housing project in Newark before its demolition. Economic troubles, social strife, and other major problems developed for the city in the 20th century.

The Great Depression brought on the start of Newark's urban flight, and manufacturers steadily left the city, taking their jobs with them. By the s, Newark was a poor urban center surrounded by but disconnected from its middle class suburbs. As its white population shrank from , in the s to , in , its black population grew from 70, to , during the same period.

The African American population had very quickly become the majority, and found itself concentrated in substandard housing projects and struggling with unemployment and political disenfranchisement. As the city continued its economic decline in the s and s the middle class population continued its exodus, leaving behind poor and polarized minority communities.

By , the population of Newark had more or less stabilized and was estimated at , Thirty-one percent were living below the poverty line and the city's unemployment rate was 12 percent. Fifteen percent of people between the ages of 16 and 19 were high school dropouts. Nearly 60 percent of the population was African American, nearly 30 percent were Hispanic or Latino and 18 percent were white.

Newark now contains the largest community of Portuguese immigrants in the US. Newark is New Jersey's largest city and its industrial center. However, areas like the Central Ward still suffer from high levels of crime and poverty. Newark's political history is checkered with episodes of corruption. Although accusations of wrongdoing have trailed Mayor James's administration, the two mayors who preceded James set the stage with their own fair share of scandals.

Hugh Addonizio was mayor from He was the son of Italian immigrants, a World War II hero who had served for 14 years in Congress prior to being elected as mayor. He ran on a reform platform, defeating what he characterized as the corrupt political machine of Leo Carlin, who had been mayor since Ironically, Addonizio was also accused of corruption. A state investigation into his administration on the heels of the riots led to the discovery that Addonizio and other city officials were taking kickbacks from city contractors.

He was convicted on federal charges of extortion and conspiracy in and sentenced to ten years in prison.