Who Was The First Governor Of New Jersey
New Jersey is one of the smallest states of the United States in terms of area, but it is the most densely populated state. It is located on the northeastern coast of the country and is bordered by New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. New Jersey was one of the thirteen colonies that formed the United States and it was officially the 3rd state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Since the first New Jersey State Constitution was ratified in 1776, a governor has been elected to become the political head of the state. Let’s find out who was the first governor of New Jersey.
Who was the first governor of New Jersey?
The first governor of New Jersey was William Livingston who served as governor from 1776 until he died in 1790. Before his election to governor, he was elected to serve as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1787 he led the New Jersey Delegation to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It was at this convention that he became one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution. After his death the Vice-President of the Legislative Council, Elisha Lawrence, became the acting governor until the next election when William Paterson was elected as the 2nd governor of the state.
Did you know?
In 2005 an amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution was passed to create a position of Lieutenant Governor.
Related Articles