​
  • NewJerseyAlmanac.com: Gateway to New Jersey Information
    • Links >
      • Gallery
      • Gallery-Videos: History
      • Gallery-Videos: Places >
        • Advertising & Sponsorships >
          • Labor Union Profiles >
            • Government-Overview
          • New Jersey Book Store >
            • Population
            • New Jersey Timeline-Prehistoric-1699
            • New Jersey Timeline 1700-1749
            • New Jersey Timeline 1750-1799
            • New Jersey Timeline 1850-1899
            • New Jersey Timeline 1800-1849
            • New Jersey Timeline 1900-1949
            • New Jersey Timeline 1950-1999
            • New Jersey Timeline 2000-
          • News
          • Timeline
      • Gallery-Health
      • Gallery--Wildlife
      • Gallery- Battles/Military
      • Gallery-Settlement-1799 >
        • Gallery-Politics
        • Gallery-Newark
        • Gallery-Trenton
        • Gallery-Jersey Shore
        • Gallery-Princeton
        • Gallery-Labor & Industry
        • Gallery-Hudson County >
          • Gallery 1800-1899
          • Gallery 1800-1899 >
            • Gallery 1900-
            • DataBank-Population
    • Law firms
    • About
    • Employers
    • Transportation-History Air >
      • Transportation-History World War II-2000s
      • Fast Facts >
        • Contact
        • Zazzle Store
      • E-books
    • New Jersey Anthology
    • Store
  • History
    • Native Americans
    • Exploration and Settlement
    • British Colonial Period
    • Royal Governance
    • Path to Revolution
    • Revolutionary War
    • 19th Century Industrial Development
    • Civil War
    • Post-War Economy & Reform
    • Election of Woodrow Wilson
    • World War I and 1920s
    • Great Depression and 1930s
    • 1930s; Prelude to War, Lindbergh, Hindenburgh & War of the Worlds
    • World War II
    • Post-War Suburbanization
    • 1960s and Richard Hughes
    • 1970s & 1980s--Income tax, Brendan Byrne and Thomas Kean
    • 1990s--Florio & Whitman
    • 9/11 & McGreevey Administration
    • Codey & Corzine
    • Chris Christie
    • Phil Murphy
  • Biographies
    • Biographies E-G
    • Biographies H-M
    • Biographies N-R
    • Biographies S-Z
    • Labor Unions: Overview >
      • Labor Movement History
      • Gallery-Labor & Industry
      • Law Schools
  • Education
    • Higher Education-Directory
  • Health-Status and Comparisons
    • Health--New Jersey Hospitals: Atlantic-Gloucester >
      • New Jersey Hospitals: Essex-Middlesex Counties
      • Health-New Jersey Hospitals Monmouth-Passaic
      • New Jersey Hospitals: Salem-Warren Counties
    • Health-Insurance/HMOs
    • Health--Hospitals
    • Health--Medical and Nursing Schools
    • Health-Consumer information
    • Health--Economic Impact
    • Links-Health
    • Marijuana
  • Environment
    • Environment-Air
    • Environment-Water
    • Environment--Solid Waste
    • Environment--Waste Disposal History
    • Wildlife
    • Climate
  • Geology
  • Recreation
  • Restaurants
  • Hotels/Lodging
  • Insurance
  • New Jersey Government--Governor & Executive
  • New Jersey Battlefields/Military
  • Historic Villages & Towns
  • New Jersey Sports Stadiums & Teams
  • New Jersey Theaters
    • Theaters-Central Jersey
    • Theaters--South Jersey
  • Museums-Art
  • Museums-History
  • Zoos/Aquariums
  • Waterparks
  • Swiming holes, lakes & natural pools
  • Arboretums/Gardens
  • Amusement Parks
    • Amusement Parks-Profiles
  • Beaches
    • Beaches M-Z
  • Symbols
  • State Parks
  • National Parks
  • Equestrian Centers/Riding
  • Equestrian Centers/Riding-Central NJ
  • Equestrian Centers/Riding-South Jersey
  • Transportation-Overview
    • New Jersey Municipalities >
      • NJ Government Services
      • Taxes
      • Real Estate >
        • Congressional Delegation
        • Government--Lobbyists
      • Transportation-Air
      • Transportation-Roads
      • Transportation-Links
      • Government--Legislature
      • New Jersey Courts
      • Government--Legislator Directory Districts 1-4 >
        • Transportation-Rail and Bus Transit >
          • Economy: Overview
        • Population-Current Overview
    • Growth Companies
    • Population-Current Overview >
      • Legal practice-Overview
      • Population-Historical overview
    • Transportation-History
    • Links-Law
    • New Jersey Counties
    • Political History
    • Venture Capital
    • Elections and Politics
  • Equestrian Centers-Equine Rescue
  • Equestrian Centers-Therapeutic/Special Needs
  • Equestrian Centers-Resources/Links
  • Equestrian Centers-Racing
  • Associations-Business
    • Associations-Legal
    • Associations-Real Estate
    • Associations-Environment/Natural Resources
    • Associations-Social Welfare
    • Associations-Public Safety
    • Associations-Health
  • New Jersey Presidential Quiz
  • Kean University
  • College of New Jersey
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Montclair State University
  • Rutgers University
  • New Jersey City University
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • Rowan University
  • Ramapo College of New Jersey
  • Thomas Edison State University of New Jersey
  • Stockton University
  • Opinion
  • Opinion-An Appreciation of Brendan Byrne
  • Links
  • New Jersey Social Media Links
  • Media/Opinion/Blogs
  • Adult Education
  • Shopping Outlets
  • Foundations
  • Shopping Malls
  • Best NJ Shops
  • Best NJ Food Shops
  • New Jersey History Timeline - January
  • New Jersey History Timeline - February
  • New Jersey History Timeline - March
    • New Jersey History Timeline - April
  • New Jersey History Timeline - May
    • New Jersey History Timeline - June
    • New Jersey History Timeline - July
  • New Jersey History Timeline - August
    • New Jersey History Timeline - July >
      • New Jersey History Timeline - September
      • New Jersey History Timeline-October
  • New Jersey History Timeline - December
  • New Jersey History Timeline - December
  • Opinion-On the Passing of Brendan Byrne
  • Casino-Hotels
  • NJ Online Casinos
  • Sports Gambling
  • Lottery
  • Clifford Goldman Dies
  • NJ Sexual Abuse Resources
  • Movies, TV set in NJ
  • Princeton University
  • Bloomfield College
  • Caldwell University
  • Centenary University
  • College of Saint Elizabeth
  • Drew University
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University
  • Felician University
  • Georgian Court University
  • Monmouth University
  • Rider University
  • Saint Peters University
  • Seton Hall University
  • Stevens Institute of Technology
  • Princeton University History Timeline
  • New Jersey Day Trips - Liberty Park
  • New Jersey Day Trips - Asbury Park
  • Day Trip - Ocean Grove
  • Opinion-Remembering Jerry O'Connor
  • Real Estate as a Side Hustle
  • Most Picturesque Places in New Jersey
  • starting a business
  • Operating a Business
  • New Jersey Geology
  • Financing a Business
  • Mental Health Resources in New Jersey
  • New Jersey Disasters
  • Pillar College
  • Charities- Overview
    • Leading Companies
    • Charities- Cardiac/Cancer/Diabetes
    • Charities-Addiction
  • Finding a New Jersey Job
  • Filing a Complaint
  • Hiring a Lawyer in New Jersey
  • Buying a Home
  • Doing Good
  • State Government Departments & Ages
NewJerseyAlmanac.com

                          History-- 1947 Constitution and 
                            
                              Post-War Suburban Development

 *  Native Americans  *  Exploration and Settlement  *  British colony
*  Royal governance  *  Path to Revolution  *  Revolutionary War
*  Industrialization  *  Civil War  *  Post-War Economy & Reform
*  Woodrow Wilson as Governor  *  World War I & 1920s  *  Great Depression
*  World War II  *  Post-War Development  *  1960s & Richard Hughes
*  1970s & Income tax  *  1990s-Whitman & Florio  *  9/11 & McGreevey Administration
*  Codey & Corzine 
*  Chris Christie

 *  Phil Murphy
*  Home
*  History
*  Population
*  Government
*  Politics
*  Lobbyists 
*
  Taxes
*  State Symbols
*  Biographies
*  Economy
*  Employers
*
  Real Estate
*  Education
*  Recreation

*  Restaurants 
*  Hotels  
*  Health 
*  Environment​

*  Stadiums/Teams
*  Theaters 
*  Historic Villages

*  Historic homes 
*  Battlefields/Military 
*  Lighthouses 
*  Art Museums 
*  History Museums 
*  Wildlife 
​*  Climate  
*  Zoos/Aquariums
*  Beaches 
*  National Parks 
*  State Parks 
*  Amusement Parks
 
*  Waterparks 
*  Swimming holes 
*  Arboretums  

More...
*  
Gallery of images and videos
*  
Fast Facts on key topics
*  Timeline of dates and events
*
   Anthology of quotes, comments and jokes
*  
Links
to other resources

PictureDelegates at meeting of 1947 Constitutional Convention at Rutgers University. Image: Rutgers University, Special Collections and University Archives
--1947 Constitution

       Following the end of World War II, one of the tasks taken on by influential New Jersey leaders was to redo the state's century-old constitution enacted in 1844. Governor Edge's attempt to gain approval of a new constitution had failed of ratification in 1944, but his successor Alfred Driscoll, a fellow Republican, renewed the effort, notably aided by the support of the prominent lawyer, legal educator and politician Arthur Vanderbilt.

       After weeks of meetings at Rutgers in the summer of 1947, delegates to a constitutional convention drafted a new document which consolidated the maze of state agencies and commissions; restructured the judiciary under a seven-member supreme court headed by a chief justice; and, perhaps most importantly, significantly strengthened the role of the governor. The chief executive's position was bolstered by  allowing two successive four-year terms rather than the single three-year term of the prior charter and strengthening the governor's veto, appointment and fiscal management powers. The constitution subsequently approved by referendum of the voters established a system which most analysts described as making the New Jersey governor one of the most powerful of any state.   

Picture
Preamble to 1947 Constitution. Image: New Jersey State Archives

-- Post-War Suburban Development
PictureHome under construction in Princeton. Image: NewJerseyAlmanac.com
     
      But most New Jerseyans were more interested in restarting lives interrupted by the war, particularly in fostering the "baby boom" spurred by the return of soldiers coming home to reunite with or begin new families. To meet the demand created by larger households, residential builders looked to the suburbs, with much of the development aligned on newly constructed or expanded highways. Towns also rapidly built new or expanded existing schools, and investors backed commercial and retail projects to provide jobs and shopping closer to the new housing.    

       In 1949, returning to a model from the past, Governor Driscoll proposed a toll-financed roadway crossing the state funded by the sale of privately backed revenue bonds. The project soon named the New Jersey Turnpike was a 118-mile route between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and New York City by way of a link to the George Washington Bridge. Built in only 21 months at a cost of $220 million, the road opened to traffic in November, 1951. 

       Other toll highways followed the Turnpike precedent. The road later to be named the Garden State Parkway, which had an 18-mile northern section completed in 1950 financed by the state, was converted to a toll-funded highway built by a new highway authority, commencing construction in 1952 and opening sections to traffic in stages during 1954. Still another authority was created to finance with toll revenues the construction of the Atlantic City Expressway connecting Camden with Atlantic City, a road built between 1962 and 1965.

Picture
New Jersey Orange & Yellow
drawstring bag

​15.5″ W by 19.5″ H
​$30

"The Turnpike has permitted New Jersey to emerge from behind the billboards, the hot dog stands and the junkyards. Motorists can now see the beauty of the real New Jersey."
Governor Alfred Driscoll at ribbon cutting ceremony opening Turnpike to traffic on November 30,  1951, quoted in Jon Blackwell, "1949: Highway of Dreams,"
The Trentonian
  
                                                                                                 

        In addition to the new state highways, the federal government under President Dwight Eisenhower also approved in 1956 legislation creating the interstate highway system. Over the next 25 years, the federal program would support the building of interstates 78, 80, 95, 195, 280, 287 and 295, along with shorter feeder roads. The construction of the federal highway network was generally supported, but conflicts arose over the specific routes to be followed, particularly when protests were raised over the loss of special  environmental resources. Interstate 95 was never completed along its entire route--the largest gap in the highway from Maine to Florida--as a result of local opposition in affluent towns and concerns over the loss of toll revenue by the New Jersey Turnpike. More broadly, other critics also pointed to the new highways as contributing to the ongoing loss of people and investment from the older cities to the suburbs.

       From 1950 to 1970, New Jersey's population growth surged, with the two decennial gains each exceeding 1.1 million persons--the largest in the history of the state. Most of the growth was in suburban communities, with older cities losing population, a trend exacerbated by the urban riots and disorders which broke out in cities like Newark, Plainfield and Asbury Park in 1967. Decline of the state's industrial base also undermined the economy as sunbelt states and foreign nations successfully competed to offer lower prices for real estate, workforces largely not unionized and willing to accept lower pay, weaker regulatory policies and lower taxes. Energy prices also spiked in 1973 as a result of the Arab oil embargo, providing further advantages to warmer climates seeking relocation of industrial and commercial development.  

       The nature of the new suburban development also was more diverse and less tied to older cities. Jobs, shopping and other services traditionally based in central cities increasingly were available in suburban office complexes and shopping centers. Controversial state policies to redirect resources to declining cities, such as the income tax enacted in 1976 to increase state aid to urban school districts, had only limited success in slowing the long-term trends. In the mid-1970s, the state's unemployment rate and other economic benchmarks hit levels not seen since the Great Depression.            

                                         Next-- 1960s and Richard Hughes

 *  Native Americans  *  Exploration and Settlement  *  British colony
*  Royal governance  *  Path to Revolution  *  Revolutionary War
*  Industrialization  *  Civil War  *  Post-War Economy & Reform
*  Woodrow Wilson as Governor  *  World War I & 1920s  *  Great Depression
*  World War II  *  Post-War Development  *  1960s & Richard Hughes
*  1970s & Income tax  *  1990s-Whitman & Florio  *  9/11 & McGreevey Administration
*  Codey & Corzine 
*  Chris Christie

 *  Phil Murphy