Teenage New Jersey 1941-1975 by John E. O’Connor
O’Connor is reviewing a traveling art exhibition by Kathryn Grover as she shows what life was like for the teenagers of New Jersey. He comments on how New Jersey has always been seen as an “in between state” with the main populations for New Jersey surrounding New York City and Philadelphia. However, just because this state does not appear to have a lot to offer, O’Connor notes that Grover is able to show New Jersey’s influence from documenting the young adults that populate the state. He comments on the artists that have come out of New Jersey (such as John Travolta in the 70s and Bruce Springsteen in the 80s) and the influence they have on American culture.
New Jersey Politics and Government: The Suburbs Come of Age by Barbara G. Salmore
Although it has been viewed as a suburban state for most of its life, it is a quickly growing state culturally and through the population. Salmore discusses how the state grew immensely during the 1970s and 1980s with property taxes sky rocketing. The state had to accommodate for its growing population by building more highways. At the same time populations were growing and New Jersey became a much more diverse place racially in the cities. Political affiliation also began to change. New Jersey was always a right leaning state, however as the 1980s progressed, it became much more democratic (especially within cities).
Here’s what the Jersey Shore looked like in the 1970s and 1980s (PHOTOS) by Greg Hatala
In a series of photos taken by Greg Hatala, New Jersey’s explosion of culture and tourism was captured. The Resorts International Casino was opened in Atlantic City on May 26, 1978 and was the first legal casino on the east coast. This had people flocking to Atlantic City and the Shore. The Jersey Shore became the place for families to vacation, as there was fun for adults and children. It opened up a new social scene in New Jersey that was had not yet been seen before.
The Making of a Nation by Rich Kleinfeldt and Ray Freeman
In a podcast done by Rich Kleinfeldt and Ray Freeman, they discuss the period of transition in the United States from the 1960s to the 70s to the 80s. The 1970s were still heavily attached to the social change that dominated the 1960s. It was the most collectivist period that the United States had seen in quite sometime, with groups actively fighting for their civil rights. However, the recession in the 1970s hit Americans hard, and they looked towards their government to help them. With the ushering in of Reagan, the population shifted from a collectivist point of view to the standard individualistic mindset that America was founded on. A new mindset also came over the US and people started to think more openly and would discuss things that were once public in private.