51st State? The day that South Jersey voted to leave New Jersey - #NationalDivorce
The South Jersey secession vote of 1980: What really happened?
The South Jersey secession vote of 1980: What really happened?
In the ’80s, not too many kids were as politically aware as their adult selves are today. For us late ’70s and early ’80s kids, we were more concerned about hanging out with friends, maybe finding a Friday night keg party in the woods, playing sports, or spinning Led Zeppelin’s new In Through The Out Door LP.
At that same time, I remember my dad attending Board of Education meetings in Mays Landing, where there was talk of South Jersey seceding from the state of New Jersey.
Why South Jersey Wanted Out of New Jersey
For years, I’d heard the old-timers complain that their hard-earned tax dollars were being funneled into infrastructure projects in North and Central Jersey. The feeling of political and economic neglect by the state government in Trenton was strong.
Many South Jerseyans felt the state capital was more aligned with North Jersey interests—and honestly, even today, the cultural differences between North and South Jersey remain striking.
Historically, many residents in the southern counties have felt underrepresented and underserved.
The 1980 Secession Vote: Jersey’s Civil Split?
So in the mid-’70s, a group of residents launched a campaign to get a non-binding referendum on the 1980 ballot to split off South Jersey and form the 51st state.
The effort was viewed as…
Great Story. South Jersey will likely break away and be free at last when the great unraveling kicks off sometime in the near-future.