How New Jersey Looked in 1777
Explore some of New Jersey in 1777 through a map published in a renowned British magazine1 of the era.
Click on the highlighted areas below for expanded information of those regions.
A New and Accurate Map of the Present Seat of War
Taken from the June 1777 issue of the Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, this map was created to inform readers of the seat of war in North America. New Jersey dominates this map, which shows waterways, unnamed roads, and important towns and cities. The map was created less than a year after the 1776 Constitution. Many New Jersey citizens who lived at the time would probably recognize many features and locations on the map.
A new and accurate map...
The Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure published this map to accompany an article, "A succinct Account of the City of Philadelphia". New Jersey dominates the map, but it is not mentioned at all in the article!
Towns
The map shows many interesting landmarks and features, including towns. The Trenton and Princeton areas saw major action in late 1776 and early 1777 with American victories at the Battles of Trenton (December 25-26, 1776, and a second engagement at Assunpink Creek bridge on January 2, 1777) and Princeton (January 3, 1777). Trenton was not yet the capital of New Jersey. The Governor of New Jersey, William Livingston, urged the state Legislature to select a capital in September of 1776.1 Trenton was not established as the state's seat of government until November 25, 1790.
1. Papers of William Livingston, volume 1 p. 144↩
Unnamed Roads
The roads on this map are represented by two parallel small dotted lines. These connected towns and businesses, such as the Union Iron Works shown on the map. Union was a significant forge established in 1742, and at its peak produced up to 20 tons of iron goods, including horse shoes, wagon parts, and farm equipment, per week.1 The forge also produced cannon balls of various sizes in October 1776 for the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety.2
1. A Brief History of Union Township↩
2. Early Forges and Furnaces in New Jersey, p. 239, image 295↩
Waterways: The other roads
There are an abundance of labeled waterways on this map that may not seem significant to modern viewers. However, the map creator is likely highlighting an important transportation feature of the state. The New Jersey Historic Roadways Survey states that between 1621 and 1815, "Waterways were the primary means of transportation in the state." This survey, conducted by the Department of Transportation in 2011, was designed to highlight historically significant roads in New Jersey and create strategies for preserving them. Chapter 6 of the survey discusses the origins of roads from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The importance of waters and ferries as a means to travel or transport goods is emphasized: "...movement of large volumes of people, or large volumes of goods, including bulk goods traveling between colonies often remained via water whenever possible."1
1. New Jersey Historic Roads Survey, Chapter 6 page 32. New Jersey Department of Transportation, 2011.↩
Winter Quarters
Although the map title includes the phrase “seat of war”, the American Winter Quarters is the only military reference on the map. The Battle of White Plains was fought on October 28, 1776.1 American forces were defeated and forced to retreat into New Jersey. They did not have winter quarters at White Plains. Instead Winter Quarters were established in Morristown2, following the Battles of Trenton and Princeton in December 1776 and January 1777.
1. "The Battle of White Plains", Mount Vernon, accessed 12/4/25.↩
2. “The Encampment at Morristown: Summary and Quotes”, National Park Service, accessed 1/29/25.↩
Where's Sussex County?
Sussex County was founded in 1753, twenty four years prior to the creation of this map. Morris County is represented and dominates the Northern section of the state along the New York border with Orange County.
WAR Internal: Drawing the line with New York
Land boundaries had been a source of tension between New Jersey and New York since the 1600s. This map shows three boundary lines between New Jersey and New York.2
Settlers from both New York and New Jersey even crossed state lines to attack each other between 1701 and 1765 in a long standing dispute3.
In order to resolve this issue, both colonies asked for the border to be surveyed and plotted by the Crown, which was done in 1769, and formally recognized by the New Jersey Legislature in 1773.
- “New Jersey & New York as settled by the Commissioners in 1769” (Yellow Line)
This is the modern boundary between the two states, formally recognized by New York in 1882. - “Jurisdiction Line between New York and New Jersey for upwards of 50 Years” (Blue Line)
This line, established in 17194, is further south from the modern boundary. It effectively makes a good part of Morris and Sussex Counties part of New York! - “The Northern Limit of New Jersey as contended in favor of the Crown” (White Line)
Proposed by New York in 1769, this line is the furthest south. It completely removes Morris, Sussex, and some of Somerset County from New Jersey.
Establishing Boundaries: The Lawrence Line
East and West Jersey were made into a single colony in 1702. Why would a 1777 map show a boundary line between the two former colonies?
Click on the highlighted area on the map to for expanded information.
The New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed the Lawrence Line as the true line establishing the boundary between East and West Jersey in 1855 (Cornelius and Empson v. Giberson, 25 N.J.L. 1). The Lawrence Line is still used to resolve property disputes to this day.5
The Lawrence Line
In 1743, the East Jersey Proprietors hired John Lawrence, a surveyor from Monmouth County to completely survey a straight line between 41 degrees latitude on the Delaware River and the southernmost point of Little Egg Harbor.
The line's bounds were described in 1676 Quintipartite Agreement between East and West Jersey Proprietors, two New Jersey land corporations. It established where each corporation owned land and could oversee and conduct land transactions. The 67 year gap between the Quintipartite Deed and Lawrence's survey lead to many property disputes.
In 1777, the Lawrence Line was and remained the only fully surveyed boundary between the territories of the two corporations, and remained an important part of both past and future land sales in the area.
What can we learn about New Jersey?
This map is meant to show the seat of war in the Philadelphia area as of June 1777. There is only one direct reference to military activity (American Winter Quarters at White Plains).
However, the map also shows important data points that show how the British Army might function in a strange place:
– TOWNS and LANDMARKS
(Supplies, Population Density)
– WATERWAYS, FERRIES, and ROADS
(Travel and Transportation)
– BOUNDARY LINES
(Orientation, Divisions)
On Social Media
- What interests you on the map?
- Do you recognize any landmarks?
- The location of the American Army’s winter quarters is incorrect and Sussex County is missing. Are there any other errors on the map?
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Footnotes
- “A New and Accurate Map of the Present seat of war in North America: comprehending New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pensylvania, New-York, &c.” London: Universal Magazine of Knowledge and Pleasure, v. 61 June 1777. p. 280-283 (includes article about Philadelphia). ↩︎
- Snyder, John P. “The Mapping of New Jersey”. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1973. The northern boundary dispute is discussed in several places throughout the book. Please see the index entry on page 229. The first mention is on page 14. ↩︎
- Snyder, John P. “The Story of New Jersey’s Civil Boundaries“. Trenton: Bureau of Geology and Topology, 1969. p. 13-15. ↩︎
- Snyder, Mapping p.39 ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎