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New Jersey: Polity Style: 1776-2024
17/28 Apr 1702 Provinces of East New Jersey and West New Jersey return under the sovereignty of the crowns of England and Scotland when an Instrument of Surrender from the proprietors of the provinces (dated 15/26 Apr 1702) is accepted by Queen Anne at public ceremony in St. James's Palace, London [Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions, 617-618]
14/25 Aug 1703 East New Jersey and West New Jersey are united upon the installation of the first Governor-in-Chief of the Province of Nova Cæsarea, or New Jersey, at Burlington in accordance with Royal Instructions dated 16/27 Nov 1702 [Journal of Governor and Council, 301; Grants, Concessions, and Original Constitutions, 619-646]
14/25 Aug 1703 - 2 Jul 1776 Province of New Jersey [1]
17 Jun 1776 exercise of authority in the name of the King of Great Britain is discontinued when the royal Governor is taken into custody at Perth Amboy on orders of the Provincial Congress [New Jersey Convention Proceedings, 13-21]
2 Jul 1776 Constitution of New Jersey is passed by the Provincial Congress [New Jersey Convention Proceedings, 49-50]
2 Jul 1776 - 18 Jul 1776 Colony of New Jersey [2]
4 Jul 1776 the British colonies represented in the Continental Congress are proclaimed "free and independent states" in accordance with a declaration approved by the Congress on 4 Jul 1776, session of the Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:510-515)
18 Jul 1776 Provincial Congress resolved "That this house from henceforth, instead of the style and title of the Provincial Congress of New-Jersey, do adopt and assume the style and title of the Convention of the State of New-Jersey" [New Jersey Convention Proceedings, 75]
18 Jul 1776 - State of New Jersey
20 Sep 1777 "An Act to ascertain the Punishment for High Treason, and to establish the Word State instead of Colony in Commissions, Writs and other Process; and for other Purposes therein mentioned" (passed by the Legislative Council 18 Sep 1777 and by the General Assembly 20 Sep 1777) changes the provisions of Sect. 15 of the Constitution of 1776 and validates the acts passed in the name of the State of New Jersey before 20 Sep 1777 [New Jersey Legislative Council Journal, 1777, 1st session, 108; New Jersey General Assembly Proceedings, 1777, 1st session, 182; New Jersey Session Laws, 1777, c. 41, pp. 92-93]
20 Nov 1778 "An Act to authorize and empower the Delegates of the State of New Jersey, in Congress, to subscribe and ratify the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union between the several States" (passed by the Legislative Council 19 Nov 1778 and by the General Assembly 20 Nov 1778) [New Jersey Legislative Council Journal, 1778, 3rd Session, 15; New Jersey General Assembly Proceedings, 1778, 3rd Session, 29; New Jersey Session Laws, 1778, c. 1, pp. 3-4]
26 Nov 1778 the delegates of New Jersey to the Continental Congress signed the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, session of the Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 12:1164)
1 Mar 1781 New Jersey formed part of the United States upon the taking effect of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (Journals of the Continental Congress, 19:213-223)

[1] Also in official use: Province of Nova Cæsarea.
[2] The style prescribed by the Constitution of 1776 was hardly introduced when the independence of American colonies was declared (4 Jul 1776) and the authorities of New Jersey almost immediately adopted "State of New Jersey" as non-legitimized but official alternative. Since the Constitution of 1776 was proclaimed to "remain firm and inviolable", the legislature never passed any amendments.
Last update: 29 Nov 2023
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