Omar Bennett
New Jersey's first state constitution was adopted on July 2, 1776, and ratified two days later. The state has been governed by three constitutions, the second of which came into effect in 1844, and the third in 1947. The constitution has been amended several times since.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 2 July 1776 |
| Date of adoption | 2 July 1776 (some sources state 31 October 1776) |
| Date of composition | End of June 1776 |
| Time taken to compose | 5 days |
| Time between composition and ratification | 2 days |
| Objective | To provide a basic governmental framework and preempt New Jersey's fall into anarchy |
| Duration of use | 68 years |
| Suffrage rights | Granted to unmarried women and African-Americans who met the requirements of possessing sufficient assets or property as "freeholders" |
| Election of governor | Elected by the legislature |
| Frequency of legislative elections | Annual |
| Number of constitutions | 3 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first New Jersey State Constitution was ratified on 2 July 1776
- The constitution was drafted in five days and ratified two days later
- The constitution was ratified during a state of emergency, with New Jersey in imminent danger of invasion
- The constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for 68 years
- The constitution granted suffrage rights to unmarried women and African-Americans who met certain requirements
The first New Jersey State Constitution was ratified on 2 July 1776
The first New Jersey State Constitution reflected the turbulence and uncertainty of the moment. Its primary objective was to provide a basic governmental framework that would assume control of the territory after the collapse of royal authority and maintain civil order. This constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for the next 68 years.
Among its provisions, the document granted suffrage rights to unmarried women and African Americans who met the requirements of possessing sufficient assets or property as "freeholders". The legislature was elected each year and selected the state's governor.
The succeeding constitution, adopted on 29 June 1844, restricted suffrage to white males. It separated the government's powers into judicial, legislative, and executive branches and granted the people (as opposed to the legislature) the ability to elect a governor. It also formally limited state debt, a predecessor of many contemporary "debt ceiling" clauses. The constitution was amended in 1875, mainly to conform to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
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The constitution was drafted in five days and ratified two days later
New Jersey's first state constitution was drafted in five days and ratified two days later, on July 2, 1776. The American Revolutionary War was underway and George Washington had recently been defeated in New York, putting New Jersey in imminent danger of invasion. With Patriot and Tory factions plotting and battling each other, New Jersey was a state at war and was nearly a state at civil war.
The constitution was composed at the end of June 1776, during a state of emergency. Its primary objective was to provide a basic governmental framework that would assume control of the territory after the collapse of royal authority and maintain civil order. The constitution also sought to preempt New Jersey's fall into anarchy.
The document served as the charter for the state's government for the next 68 years. Among its provisions, the constitution granted suffrage rights to unmarried women and African Americans who met the requirements of possessing sufficient assets or property as "freeholders". The legislature was elected each year and selected the state's governor.
The succeeding constitution, adopted on June 29, 1844, restricted suffrage to white males. It separated the government's powers into judicial, legislative, and executive branches and granted the people (as opposed to the legislature) the ability to elect a governor. The current New Jersey constitution was adopted in 1947 and has been amended several times.
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The constitution was ratified during a state of emergency, with New Jersey in imminent danger of invasion
New Jersey's first state constitution was ratified on July 2, 1776, during a state of emergency. The American Revolutionary War was underway and George Washington had recently been defeated in New York, putting New Jersey in imminent danger of invasion. With Patriot and Tory factions plotting and battling each other, New Jersey was a state at war and was nearly a state at civil war. The constitution was composed in a span of five days and ratified just two days later. Its primary objective was to provide a basic governmental framework that would assume control of the territory after the collapse of royal authority and maintain civil order. The constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for the next 68 years.
The constitution reflects the turbulence and uncertainty of the moment. It was drafted during a time of great uncertainty and danger for the state of New Jersey. The state was facing the threat of invasion and was in a state of war. The constitution was designed to provide a basic governmental framework that would preempt New Jersey's fall into anarchy. It was also intended to reinforce the basic rights found in the United States Constitution while also addressing unique provisions specific to the state, such as regulations governing the operation of casinos.
The succeeding constitution, adopted on June 29, 1844, restricted suffrage to white males. It separated the government's powers into judicial, legislative, and executive branches and granted the people (as opposed to the legislature) the ability to elect a governor. It also formally limited state debt, a predecessor of many contemporary "debt ceiling" clauses. The constitution was amended in 1875, mainly to conform to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The current New Jersey State Constitution, adopted in 1947, has been amended several times to reflect the changing needs and values of the state.
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The constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for 68 years
New Jersey's first state constitution was adopted on July 2, 1776, and ratified two days later. The American Revolutionary War was underway and George Washington had recently been defeated in New York, putting New Jersey in imminent danger of invasion. With Patriot and Tory factions plotting and battling each other, New Jersey was a state at war and was nearly a state at civil war. Composed in a span of five days, the first New Jersey State Constitution reflected the turbulence and uncertainty of the moment. Its primary objective was to provide a basic governmental framework that would assume control of the territory after the collapse of royal authority and maintain civil order.
The constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for the next 68 years. Among its provisions, the document granted suffrage rights to unmarried women and African-Americans who met the requirements of possessing sufficient assets or property as "freeholders". The legislature was elected each year and selected the state's governor.
The succeeding constitution, adopted on June 29, 1844, restricted suffrage to white males. It separated the government's powers into judicial, legislative, and executive branches and granted the people (as opposed to the legislature) the ability to elect a governor. It also formally limited state debt, a predecessor of many contemporary "debt ceiling" clauses. The constitution was amended in 1875, mainly to conform to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.
The state has been governed by three constitutions in total. The second came into effect in 1844, and the current document was adopted in 1947 and has been amended several times. The state constitution reinforces the basic rights found in the United States Constitution, but also contains several unique provisions, such as regulations governing the operation of casinos.
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The constitution granted suffrage rights to unmarried women and African-Americans who met certain requirements
New Jersey's first state constitution was adopted on July 2, 1776, and ratified two days later. The constitution was drafted in five days, during a turbulent time in the state's history. The American Revolutionary War was underway, and New Jersey was in danger of invasion. The constitution aimed to provide a basic governmental framework to prevent the state from falling into anarchy.
The constitution also included other provisions, such as the election of the legislature each year, which would then select the state's governor. This was a significant change from the previous system, in which the legislature selected the governor.
The constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for the next 68 years. However, in 1844, a new constitution was adopted that restricted suffrage to white males only. This was a step backward in terms of voting rights, as it took away the right to vote from unmarried women and African-Americans, regardless of their property ownership.
The 1844 constitution also made other significant changes to the state's government, including separating the government's powers into judicial, legislative, and executive branches. It also granted the people, rather than the legislature, the ability to elect a governor. This constitution was amended in 1875 to conform to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which guaranteed equal protection under the law and the right to vote regardless of race, colour, or previous condition of servitude.
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Frequently asked questions
The first New Jersey State Constitution was ratified on July 2, 1776.
The primary objective of the first New Jersey State Constitution was to provide a basic governmental framework that would assume control of the territory after the collapse of royal authority and maintain civil order.
The first New Jersey State Constitution served as the charter document for the state's government for 68 years.
The current New Jersey State Constitution contains several unique provisions, such as regulations governing the operation of casinos.
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