The following important events in New Jersey history affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.

1664	The English conquered New Netherland. New Jersey was granted to two proprietors: Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.
1676	The province was divided into the separate proprietorships East Jersey and West Jersey. The capital of East Jersey was Elizabeth and then Perth Amboy as of 1686. Since 1681, the capital of West Jersey was Burlington. Each proprietorship was governed by its own board of proprietors. Between 1672 and 1682, William Penn and other Quakers purchased both proprietorships.
1683	Four counties—Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth—were formed in East Jersey. The original West Jersey counties of Burlington and Salem were established as places where courts were held in 1681. A few townships in both provinces date from 1675, but none were formally created until 1693.
1687-1693	The line between East Jersey and West Jersey was agreed upon in 1687. It ran from Little Egg Harbor on the southeast coast to the most northerly point on the Delaware River lying within New Jersey.
1702	The Quaker proprietors surrendered control to the crown, and the two Jerseys were united to form a single royal colony. The two boards of proprietors retained land titles.
1769	After long conflicts, the present border with New York was agreed upon. The line was confirmed by the King in Council in 1773 and in 1774.
1776	New Jersey declared itself an independent state. In 1787 New Jersey became the third state to ratify the Constitution.
1790	Trenton became the capital.
1804	From this time on, children born as slaves in New Jersey became free upon reaching the age of 25 for males and 21 for females. Registers of slave births began to be kept.
1844	The property qualification for voting was removed.
1846	A law to abolish slavery made all children born to slaves free from birth, but those already in bondage became “apprentices” to their former masters for life. There was still some slavery until the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.