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New Jersey Colony History
"New Jersey was so named, in 1664, at the time of its conquest by the English
from the Dutch, in honor of Sir George Carteret, who had been governor of
the Isle of Jersey, in the British Channel, and to whom, with Lord Berkley,
the Duke of York conveyed the territory.
Until 1664, the territory continued under the jurisdiction
of the Dutch, at New Netherlands. In March of
that year, Charles II conveyed the whole territory to his brother, the Duke
of York, who, in July, sold the tract called New Jersey to Carteret and
Berkley, about three months prior to its reduction by Colonel Nichols [a
British Governor that had acquired land grants from Native Americans under
Dutch rule].
The first settlement in New Jersey was probably about the
year 1620, at Bergen, a village a few miles west of New York. Fort Nassau,
five miles from Camden, was built in 1623, but was deserted not long after.
A few other settlements were made in the territory, but the settlement of
Elizabethtown, in 1664, by persons from Long Island, is generally fixed upon
as the era of colonization.
The following year, 1665, Philip Carteret, appointed
governor by the proprietors, arrived at Elizabethtown, which he made the
seat of government. He brought with him a constitution for the colony, which
ordained a free assembly, consisting of a governor, council, and
representatives; the latter to be chosen by each town. The legislative power
resided in the assembly, the executive, in the governor and council.
The liberal provisions of this constitution, in connection
with the fertility of the soil and
salubrity of the
climate, soon induced emigrants, chiefly from New England and New York, to
form settlements within the territory. And, for some years, these
settlements enjoyed an unusual exemption from the hardships and sufferings
to which most of the other early colonies were subjected.
In 1672, on the occurrence of war between Holland and
England, New York was taken by the former, and again brought under Dutch
government. New Jersey and Delaware also submitted. All, however, was
returned to the English during the following year.
In 1674, Lord Berkley made a conveyance of his half to John
Fenwick, in trust for Edward Billinge and his assigns. Billinge, being in
debt, presented his interest in the province to his creditors, William Jones
and others being appointed trustees to dispose of the lands.
In the year 1676, the province of New Jersey was divided
into East and West Jersey. In this division Carteret took East Jersey, the
government of which he retained; and the trustees of Billinge, West Jersey.
The Duke of York, though he had conveyed away his powers of government when
he sold the province to Berkley and Carteret, in 1664, unjustly claimed West
Jersey as a dependency of New York. These claims of the duke, Sir Edmund
Andros, his governor in America, attempted to assert, and actually extended
his jurisdiction over the province. But, due to great discontent and
remonstrances of the citizens, the subject was referred to commissioners,
who decided against the Duke of York; upon which, in 1680, he relinquished
his claims to the proprietors.
In 1682, Carteret, disgusted with the people, sold his right
to East Jersey to William Penn and others, who immediately sold one half of
it to the Earl of Perth and
his associates. Robert Barclay, the celebrated author of "The Apology for
the Quakers," was the next year made governor of East Jersey. In 1688, both
the Jerseys and New York were annexed to New England, in which connection
they continued until the accession of William and Mary to the throne of
England in 1689. "A government under the proprietors of both the Jerseys had
become extremely disagreeable to the inhabitants; who, from various causes,
became so uneasy, that the proprietors surrendered the government of East
and West Jersey to the crown in 1702."
The two provinces were now united into one, and annexed to
New York, under the government of Lord Cornbury. The people were
allowed a House of Representatives, consisting of twenty-four members; but
the governor and council, consisting of twelve members, were appointed by
the crown.
From this time to 1738 the province continued under the
Governors of New York; but in that year an application made as early as 1728
for a separation from New York was granted, and Lewis Morris was appointed
royal governor of the province.
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