As our nation’s first capital, Philadelphia is a city filled with history, and there’s no place more historic than Independence Hall. Both the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were debated and signed inside, and it’s often referred to as the “Birthplace of America”. As much as the founding documents themselves, Independence Hall stands as an international symbol of freedom and democracy. But what about a symbol representing the preservation of those freedoms? Turns out you don’t have to go far to find one. Just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, stands a monument to America’s “Arsenal of Democracy”, the battleship USS New Jersey, whose motto was “Firepower for Freedom”.
The phrase “Arsenal of Democracy”, first entered the American lexicon in December 1940, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt prominently featured it in one of his famous “fireside chats”. FDR said in the speech, “We must be the great arsenal of democracy”, referring to the need for American industry to be mobilized for the war effort. The USS New Jersey was the product of that mobilization, and was launched on December 7th, 1942, the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. She now rests in Camden, on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, but much like America itself, the USS New Jersey was born in Philadelphia. Constructed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, the USS New Jersey would go on to become America’s most decorated battleship, earning 19 battle stars.
The USS New Jersey, affectionately known by its crew as the “Big J”, is 1 of 4 Iowa Class battleships, along with the USS Iowa, USS Wisconsin, and USS Missouri. The Iowa Class were the largest and most powerful battleships ever built by the United States, and all 4 have been preserved as museums. Standing on the deck of the USS New Jersey, it’s impossible not to marvel at her size. 887 feet long and 108 feet wide, her dimensions were only constrained by the need to squeeze through the Panama Canal. Armed with nine 16″ guns, each capable of firing a 2,700 pound armor-piercing shell over 23 miles, the USS New Jersey was an engineering marvel. A symbol of American military and industrial might.
The self guided tour is extensive, and takes you past all the key parts of the ship. If you’ve done a battleship tour before, you probably won’t see anything new with respect to the ship itself. But what is unique are some of the museum exhibits. While most museum ships have exhibits explaining the ship’s history, or exploring the lives of those who served onboard, the USS New Jersey also has some unique exhibits on the history of battleships. The exhibits explore not only the history of American battleships, but those of other countries as well.
In the early 20th century, battleships were symbols of not just naval power, but statements about a nation’s scientific and industrial prowess. These were the most technologically sophisticated weapons on the planet, and battleships were often symbols of national prestige. In that context, the historical significance of battleships extends beyond just military history, and the exhibits do a very nice job of exploring the broader importance.
Depending on how much time you spend exploring the museum exhibits, you can spend as little or as much time as you want aboard USS New Jersey. I stopped to read pretty much everything, and spent about 2 hours onboard. Looking back I probably could have used another hour, but I had a packed schedule sight seeing in Philadelphia. For anyone who wants to skip over the museum sections, you really only need about an hour to see most of the ship. It’s also worth noting that the USS New Jersey is only 15 minutes away from downtown Philadelphia, just a quick drive across the Ben Franklin Bridge. So even if you’re only in Philadelphia for a day, the USS New Jersey is accessible, and not a huge time commitment.
The USS New Jersey is one of America’s most historic naval vessels, and its size is awe inspiring. Even if you’re not particularly interested in the historical significance, touring a ship of this size is still incredibly interesting. Anecdotal evidence tells me that an interest in history, is definitely not a prerequisite for enjoying these types of tours. So the next time you’re in Philadelphia, consider taking a trip across the Delaware River, and touring the USS New Jersey. Especially if you’ve never done any kind of battleship tour, you might be surprised how much you enjoy it.