July 2 marks the 249th anniversary of the signing of the New Jersey Constitution, a document that was originally adopted to ensure there would not be anarchy in the colony during the Revolution. It lasted for the next 68 years before it was amended.
The Preamble of the New Jersey Constitution said “We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution”
The document was adopted July 2, 1776 while the colonies were at war with England. General George Washington had just been defeated in New York, leaving the possibility New Jersey would then be invaded. The colony had both Patriots and Torys with strong feelings and beliefs and was on the brink of a civil war.
The Constitution was composed over five days and ratified just two days later amid the state of emergency in which the residents found themselves.
It primary purpose was to ensure there was a basic framework of government to prevent a state of disorder without any controlling system or authority.
This was the third document that governed what is now New Jersey. The first was the Concession and Agreement written in 1665 by Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, proprietors of the land. It granted religious freedom to all. When the proprietors sold the land to the Quakers and the colony was split into West and East Jersey, each had its own Constitution; they were reunited by Queen Anne in 1702.
This original constitution granted both women and blacks who met property requirements the right to vote, a right that remained in effect until 1844, when one of the amendments at the Constitutional Convention restricted voting to white males.
The Constitution remained unchanged for another 103 years, with the present Constitution adopted in 1947. Since then, there have been 54 amendments.
The date of the New Jersey’s first Constitution is on the Revolutionary War Timeline in the Monmouth 250 Monmouth County Revolutionary War History book published by the Monmouth County 250 Committee headed by co-chairs Commission Director Thomas A. Arnone and County Clerk Christine Hanlon.
For questions or to request printed copies of this resource, email Ted.Maturo@co.monmouth.nj.us.
To learn more about the MonmouthNJ250 Committee and other events surrounding the celebration, go to MonmouthNJ250.org or follow on Instagram and X @MonmouthNJ250.
New Jersey Constitution New Jersey Constitution New Jersey Constitution
Tired of Facebook? You can also Find ViniVidiScripto on the Following Platforms …
