NJIT's Student Newspaper

The Vector

NJIT's Student Newspaper

The Vector

NJIT's Student Newspaper

The Vector

History of Newark

The city of Newark was founded in 1666 by Connecticut Puritans to avoid losing their political power. It is the third town of New Jersey and is the largest city in New Jersey.

Newark experienced great expansions and change during the Industrial Revolution.

The main reason behind Newark’s growth was the increase of manufacturing and production during the 19 century. The formation of the Morris canal made it a busier port as well, making Newark a frequent business site.

However, the city was challenged for a long time during its growth. Economic trouble, social disparity, and other problems were controlling Newark as well as its people. Many Newark citizens began to resent their current way of living due to these problems. These problems mark the three main periods in Newark’s history.

First was the “Rags to Riches” period when businesses started to grow and entrepreneurs started to increase. During that time, everyone lived a modest life and was enjoying the new technological innovations that presented itself every now and then.

Shortly after was the fall period when the city began to decline. The number of crimes increased, the city’s infrastructure conditions worsened – some roads went unpaved and littered with trash throughout the city – and civil unrest was on the rise resulting in the Newark Riots of 1967. In other words, municipal services almost did not exist.

Fortunately, a rebirth period erupted not too long after. The rebirth period is almost continuing till today because what happened to the city during its fall was hard to recover from in just a few years. Police presence was more visible, municipal services were restored and reformed, and more funding started to be received. Many efforts were made to restore the city not only to its normal state but also to being one of the cities with the best art scenes. Newark started to prosper and improve, making it a safer place to explore the history preceding it through select locations..

Newark is such a great city that will always have good places to explore and visit. The city is rich with museums, historical buildings, and home to educational institutions known throughout the state. The city has experienced a great transformation from a city with the highest crime rates to one where people are finally safe to walk by themselves and enjoy its good views and art scenes.

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