Why must New Jersey’s 1776 constitution and 1787 federal ratification be separated?
Note
New Jersey's 1776 state constitution, 1787 federal ratification, and later constitutional changes concern different legal systems and periods.
New Jersey's 1776 constitution organized an independence-era state government; the 1787 act ratified the new federal Constitution. Different dates, institutions, and legal purposes must remain separate in a chronology. Precise chronology prevents confusing the creation of a state government with approval of a federal framework.
