Editing Middle Colonies (section)

==Province of New Jersey==
{{main|Bergen, New Netherland|Province of New Jersey}}
[[File:Wpdms east west new jersey.png|thumb|A map showing the borders of [[West New Jersey]] (left) and [[East New Jersey]] (right)]]
[[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] renamed the land west of the [[Hudson River]] in New Jersey, and gave the region between New England and Maryland to his brother, the Duke of York, who later became King [[James II of England]], as a [[proprietary colony]].<ref name=Turner/> James II later granted the land between the Hudson River and the [[Delaware River]] to two friends who had been loyal to him through the [[English Civil War]]: [[Sir George Carteret]] and [[John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton|Lord Berkeley of Stratton]]. This land grant became the Province of New Jersey.<ref name=Streissguth>Streissguth (2001), 96.</ref><ref name="John">John E. Pomfret, ''Colonial New Jersey: A History'' (1973)</ref>

In 1665, the [[Concession and Agreement]] was written in an effort to entice settlers to New Jersey. This document provided for religious freedom, no taxes without assembly approval, and a governor appointed by the proprietors.<ref>Berkeley and Carteret (1664).</ref> The first governor appointed in this way was [[Philip Carteret (Governor)|Philip Carteret]], who founded [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabethtown]]. Colonists were required to pay annual [[quit-rent]] taxes. On March 18, 1674, after encountering difficulty collecting the taxes, Lord Berkeley sold his share in the colony to [[Edward Byllynge]], a Quaker businessman from London.<ref>Gerlach (2002), 384.</ref> This sale divided New Jersey into [[East Jersey]] and [[West Jersey]]; however, the border between the two was not agreed upon until the [[Quintipartite Deed]] in 1676.  From 1701 to 1765, colonists skirmished in the [[New York-New Jersey Line War]] over disputed colonial boundaries.

On April 15, 1702, Queen [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Anne]] united West and East Jersey into one [[Royal Colony]], the Province of New Jersey.<ref name=Elson3>Elson (1904), 148.</ref> [[Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon]] became the royal colony's first governor. After Hyde was recalled to England in 1708 over charges of graft, bribery, and corruption, the governor of New York was charged to also preside over New Jersey.<ref name=Elson3/> Finally, in 1738, King [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] appointed a separate governor, [[Lewis Morris (governor)|Lewis Morris]], to run New Jersey.<ref name=Streissguth>Streissguth (2001), 96.</ref>

The [[Provincial Congress of New Jersey]], made up of elected delegates, formed in January 1776 to govern the colony. The Congress had Royal Governor [[William Franklin]] arrested on June 15, declaring him "an enemy to the liberties of this country".<ref name=Skemp>Skemp (1990), 192.</ref> On July 2, 1776, New Jersey enacted the [[New Jersey State Constitution]], soon after having empowered delegates to the Continental Congress, on June 21, to join in a declaration of independence. The [[United States Declaration of Independence]] ended their colonial status.<ref name="John" />