With this sale, new jersey was divided into east jersey and west jersey, two distinct provinces of the proprietary colony. Life in america was much different when the first europeans arrived to colonize the strange, new land. For many years, new jersey shared a royal governor with new york. These colonies belonged to the british empire and were founded during the 17th and 18th centuries. First, new jersey was broken off of new york, a massive land mass that was much too big for one man to govern. James r arnold a detailed look at the formation of the colony of new jersey, its government, and its overall history, plus a prologue on world events in 1664 and an epilogue on new jersey today. Led by printz, the settlement extended north from fort christina on both sides of the delaware river.
A documentary history new jerseys revolutionary experience. However, they were soon overrun by the british colonists who divided the land in half. The powers of the state are vested by the constitution of new jersey, enacted in 1947, in a bicameral state legislature consisting of the general assembly and senate, the governor, and the state courts, headed the new jersey supreme court. Located in the heart of the bustling atlantic corridor and. In this series, young readers will learn about colonial life, plus the important events that lead to revolution and statehood. Therefore, the duke of york gave the land of new jersey to two of his friends. The death rate was very high among those who arrived first, and some early. The new jersey colonial conveyances west jersey history. The new jersey governorship dates back to the mid17th century. John berkeley and george carteret were named proprietors of the colony. In 1640, a swedish community was created in presentday new jersey on the delaware river. According to the us census bureau, from 2010 through 20, new jerseys asian population rose the mostby 9. The government of new jersey had some stunning policies.
The political division existed for the 26 years between 1678 and 1712. Youve only been living in north america for a short time and are. A proprietary colony was chartered to a person or several people who were entitled to rule the land with utmost authority. One of the original colonies, new jersey was an important battleground during the american revolution. Colonial new jersey had a proprietary type of government. The united states of america started out as original colonies. As a result, new jersey was more ethnically diverse than many other colonies. Printz helped to improve the military and commercial status of the colony by constructing fort nya elfsborg. A brief history of the colony of new jersey, 16641738. However, it is not until 1660 that the first permanent european settlement of bergen was created. History of the jersey settlement from history of wautauga county. From a sketch of the greene family of watauga, by the late rev. The colonists had to make their own clothes, grow their own food, build their own houses and live by ways set by their english landlords.
History and development of the jersey settlement, nc. The dutch west india company gave michael pauw a patroonship in new jersey. Celebrating new jerseys 350 th anniversary with a look at the history of the colony of nova c. Primarily a rural society, the colony grew to have about 100,000 people. In the late 16th century, england, france, spain, and the netherlands launched major colonization programs in america. The area that would later be new jersey was part of new netherland. New sweden, founded in 1638, rose to its height under governor johan bjornsson printz 164353. The official web site for the state of new jersey history. Municipalities by county in new jersey new jersey constitutional convention proceedings 1947 new jersey in the american revolution, 17631783. The proprietors had the power to appoint the governor of the colony. The colonial conveyances is a listing, with some notes, of every deed recorded in new jersey between 1660 and 1780.
In 1664, england took control of land that is now new jersey. Greene, baptist missionary to china, we learn that about the middle of the eighteenth century a colony moved from new jersey and settled in rowan county, north carolina. Imagine is the year 1670, and youre living in the colonies the colony of new jersey, to be exact. He is the author of the everything american presidents book and colonial life. New jersey historical laws, constitutions and charters. Part of southwestern new jersey was settled by the swedes by the mid17th century. The official web site for the state of new jersey a. The government of the state of new jersey is separated into three distinct branches. Morgans history of the new jersey conference of the a. The story of how it came to be begins during the run up to the bicentennial in 1976 when the east jersey proprieters decided that a good project for the times would be to type all the data from the. A short history of new jersey governors of new jersey 16641974 genealogical society of new jersey historic trust nj historical commission.