Most NJ Residents Don’t Know Their State Allowed Slavery, Poll Finds

Did you know that New Jersey once allowed slavery? If you answered “yes,” you’re one of only 45 percent of residents who are aware of an infamous chapter of history in their home state, a recent poll says.

The findings are from a study conducted by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, sponsored by The Fund for New Jersey.

Slightly less than half (45 percent) of New Jerseyans correctly said New Jersey once allowed the enslavement of Black people. Meanwhile, 18 percent incorrectly said New Jersey did not allow slavery, and 38 percent were unsure, pollsters reported.

Among those who replied correctly, 42 percent incorrectly said New Jersey banned slavery before the Civil War. Read More: The North's Last Slave State: NJ Didn't Ban Slavery Until After Juneteenth

Pollsters noted that a majority of people surveyed think unpaid labor provided by enslaved Black people in the state is a reason for the wealth gap between Black people and white people in New Jersey that exists today (35 percent said it was a “major reason,” 26 percent said it was a “minor reason”). Read More: Fight For Slavery Reparations Endures In NJ As Wealth Gap Widens

When it comes to teaching about the history of slavery in New Jersey schools, 67 percent of people said they “strongly” support it, and 21 percent said they “somewhat” support it.

Results are from a statewide poll of 1,059 adults contacted through the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel from Dec. 4 to Dec. 16, 2024. The sample has a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points.

• See Related: Enslaved Didn’t ‘Benefit’ From Slavery, Outraged NJ Activists Say
• See Related: Amistad Law Comes Alive At NJ Summer Institute, NJ Teacher Says

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