Philip Carteret; french: link=no, Philippe de Carteret; (1639–1682) was the first
Governor of New Jersey, from 1665 to 1673 and governor of
East New Jersey
The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...
from 1674 to 1682.
Career
The English annexed the Dutch province of
New Netherland in 1664, and lands west of
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
and
Manhattan Island
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
were awarded to two
Lords Proprietors,
John Berkeley
John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1602 – 26 August 1678) was an English royalist soldier, politician and diplomat, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family. From 1648 he was closely associated with James, Duke of York, and ...
and
George Carteret (cousin of Philip). In 1665, Carteret (or "Cartaret") was appointed by them to take possession of the newly acquired territory which been renamed the
Province of New Caesaria, or New Jersey, and assume the position of governor.
Philip Carteret and Berkeley issued the ''
Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors of New Jersey'', the "most liberal grant of political privileges made by any English colonial proprietor to the people".
[Morison] Freedom of conscience was guaranteed and generous land grants were promised. Carteret indeed issued many grants of lands to settlers and landowners, partly with the purpose of increasing the worth of the colony. The pair "expected to profit from sales of their rich North American land holdings, and they were not disappointed".
[Ferrell]
Carteret designated
Elizabethtown (named after the wife of George Carteret) as the capital of New Jersey, where a representative assembly first met in 1668.
Middletown Township and
Shrewsbury Township refused to send representatives to this
New Jersey Assembly and declared their independence, electing
James Carteret
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguati ...
as their leader. Carteret became angry and left for England, and had the English government force the New Jersey settlers to pay
quitrents.
Carteret found the province inhabited by "a few hundred
Dutchmen
The Dutch (Dutch: ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Netherlands. They share a common history and culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Arub ...
and
English Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...
.
During his governorship, more towns sprang up in New Jersey.
By the end of his term in 1682 the province consisted of seven towns, and many outlying ''plantations''. The populations (exclusive of
Lenape
The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...
natives) was about 3500 in the seven established towns of ''Berghen, Newarke, Elizabeth Towne, Woodbridge, Piscattawy'' and ''Middletown'', with an undetermined number in outlying areas.
After the death of George Carteret, Governor
Edmund Andros of New York attempted to seize power in
East Jersey. When Philip Carteret refused to give up his position as governor, Andros sent a raiding party to his home and had him beaten and arrested to New York. Carteret was placed on trial, but was acquitted by the jury. The attack caused permanent injuries to Carteret, and he died in 1682.
See also
*
Bergen, New Netherland
*
List of colonial governors of New Jersey
*
East Jersey
References
*Samuel Eliot Morison: ''The Oxford History of the American People, Vol. 1'':
Oxford University Press 1965 & 1972.
Library of Congress: 65-12468.
*Hugh Brogan: ''The Longman History of the United States of America'': Longman Group Ltd. 1985.
*Robert H Ferrell (with Richard Natkiel): ''Atlas of American History'':
Bison Books Ltd. 1987.
External links
Decarteret.org.uk Person Sheet
USAhistory.info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carteret, Philip
1639 births
1682 deaths
Philip Carteret Governor
Colonial governors of New Jersey
Jersey people
Politicians from Elizabeth, New Jersey
Governors of East New Jersey