What limits the claim that New Jersey allowed universal voting under its 1776 constitution?
Note
Voting eligibility under New Jersey's early constitution depended on property and other legal qualifications; it was not universal suffrage.
The 1776 rules included property and other qualifications and did not establish equal voting rights for all adults. Some women and free Black residents could vote, but this was conditional and uneven. Property qualifications demonstrate why early election rights must be analyzed in their legal context.