Prior to New Jersey emerging as an industrial hub and major transportation corridor, it was a relatively small English colonial entity located between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. While the man credited with the establishment of the colony, Lord John Berkeley, was an English nobleman who assisted in the creation of the colony in the middle of the seventeenth century, the early history of New Jersey is characterized primarily by grants of land, boundary changes, and political arrangements resulting from British efforts to extend its presence in North America.
The history of New Jersey began in 1664 when the English seized the area from the Dutch and King Charles II conveyed the land to his brother, the Duke of York; shortly thereafter, the Duke of York divided the land and conveyed part of it to two Englishmen who were particularly supportive of him: Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. Both men are considered the official founders of New Jersey but neither functioned as a founder in the same capacity.
Lord John Berkeley: political ally and land investor
Berkeley was a significant English politician and soldier who was instrumental in supporting King Charles II during the period of great turmoil in England. As a result of this support, the King awarded Berkeley the western half of the newly formed colony. Berkeley viewed New Jersey as a business venture. He promoted settlement in the area and sold large tracts of land to encourage other English colonists to settle there. Many of the early land sales in West Jersey were made directly to Berkeley.
Later, Berkeley sold his interest in the colony to a group of Quakers and they went on to develop West Jersey as a colony of Quakers and a center of Quaker politics.
Sir George Carteret: the namesake of New Jersey
Carteret served as the Governor of the eastern half of the colony and his role is why the colony came to be called “New Jersey.” Carteret was born on the Island of Jersey in the English Channel and the Duke of York named the colony in his honor. Carteret was active in promoting settlement of the area and in establishing the legal system that would govern the colony and promote commerce.
In addition to establishing the courts, Carteret also actively encouraged the colony’s population growth through trade promotion and the recruitment of new settlers.
Divided, then Reunited Colony
As a direct result of the fact that Berkeley and Carteret owned the colony jointly but separately, there were two colonies in existence: East Jersey and West Jersey. Both colonies had their own government, laws and priorities. These separate entities caused much confusion for the people living in the area and for those conducting trade with them. In addition, the colonies had differing opinions regarding how far west the property lines extended.
It was not until 1702 and after approximately forty years of disputes regarding jurisdiction and land use that both areas were returned to the English Crown and subsequently merged into one Royal Colony. This merger ultimately resulted in the present day State of New Jersey when the United States declared Independence from Great Britain in 1776.
Founding Based Upon Contrast
New Jersey’s founders represented two extremes of the early American colonization experience:
• Berkeley: Investor Seeking Opportunity
• Carteret: Governor Focused on Administration and Settlement
Both men’s actions significantly influenced the colony’s economic and demographic development, as well as the initial formation of its political structure. The diversity of cultures (Dutch, English, Quaker and Swedish) that existed among the colonies’ early inhabitants is evident today throughout the State of New Jersey in the form of community and cultural identity.
Over 350 years have passed since Berkeley and Carteret received their grant of rights and interests in what would become the State of New Jersey, and yet the origin of New Jersey continues to define the State’s identity and how its residents view themselves as participants in American History.