History of the New Jersey State Constitution

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Originally, the state of New Jersey was a single British colony. After the English Civil War, Charles II gave New Jersey as a proprietary colony to be jointly held by Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley. Eventually, the collection of land fees, or quit-rents, from colonists became difficult to generate colonial profitability. Sir George Carteret then sold his share of the colony to the Quakers in 1673. Following the sale of The land was then divided into East and West Jersey. In 1681, West Jersey adopted their constitution. In 1683, East Jersey adopted theirs. In 1702, the colonies were united again under Anne of Great Britain, and adopted their constitution in 1776.

Contents 1 Constitutions 1.1 Concession and Agreement 1.2 West Jersey Constitution 1.3 East Jersey Constitution 1.4 1776 Constitution 1.5 1884 Constitution 1.6 1947 Constitution 1.7 Amendments < 1947 2 References

[edit] Constitutions

[edit] Concession and Agreement

See also: Concession and Agreement

Concession and Agreement was a legal document that guaranteed rights; including, but not only, religious freedom. It served as the basic governing document of the colony of New Jersey. Although the document is most commonly recognized as an enticement for settlers, it is in the basic form of any colonial charter or constitution, and guarantees such rights.

[edit] West Jersey Constitution

The constitution of the proprietary colony of West Jersey was adopted in 1681, eight years after the sale of the colony to the Quakers. The constitution was preceded by the charter, which consisted only of the equivalent of the Bill of Rights.

Preamble:

“

Forasmuch as it hath pleased God, to bring us into this Province of West New Jersey, and settle us here in safety, that we may be a people to the praise and honour of his name, who hath so dealt with us, and for the good and welfare of our posterity to come, we the Governor and Proprietors, freeholders and inhabitants of West New Jersey, by mutual consent and agreement, for the prevention of innovasion and oppression, either upon us or our posterity, and for the preservation of the peace and tranquility of the same; and that all may be encourage to go on cheerfully in their several places: We do make and constitute these our agreements to be as fundamentals to us and our posterity, to be held inviolable, and that no person or persons whatsoever, shall or may make void or disanul the same upon any presence whatsoever.

”

The charter, when instantiated, was essentially an enumeration of rights; this constitution would be the equivalent of Articles II-V. It created the executive offices and the General Assembly and enumerated some of the powers of office. The charter had already created an enumeration of the peoples' rights.

[edit] East Jersey Constitution

The constitution of East Jersey, unlike West Jersey's, did not seemingly have a section of the traditional colonial constitution missing. Within their constitution was a detailed creation of great Council, whom would control the colony. The constitution also created a somewhat abbrieviated enumeration of rights. The constitution also bans the admission of any non-Christian into the council. A vestige from the Stamp Act, Article XVIII is an archaic section of a since-repealed act.

[edit] 1776 Constitution

[edit] 1884 Constitution

[edit] 1947 Constitution

[edit] Amendments < 1947

[edit] References

• Original New Jersey Constitution
• West Jersey Charter
• West Jersey Constitution
• East Jersey Constitution
• NJ Constitution of 1776