assuring their future good behavior. In most counties, loyalist and moderates were intimidated into silence or forced to face the violent tactics of the rebels. Voting was also cast by voice, which meant a man had to publicly state the side that he supported, exposing him to even more aggression.10 Throughout Flemming’s historical account, he also examines themes that occurred during the development of New Jersey. One of the most evident is the new colony’s resistance to taxation. At the beginning of the settlement of New Jersey, a grace period had been granted before quitrents were to be paid. In 1670, when the current governor, Philip Carteret, announced that the expiration date had been reached and taxes must be paid, his unpopularity increased greatly and payments were few and slow. In order to receive any of this levy, harsh consequences were implemented. Anyone who refused could face having his “cattle, grain, furniture, or other moveable goods seized by a constable to settle the debt. Jerseyans powers were also limited by restricting the vote to only freemen, a stature of which only the governor could decide.11The French and Indian War reveals, once again, how Jerseyans resisted the payment of taxes. To help finance the war, London permitted the assembly to issue massive amounts of paper money. This flood of currency and the presence of the British fleet increased the price of everything, and, as a result, created an artificial prosperity. New Jersey, given the opportunity to increase the flow of money, made large requisitions to support the war and viewed the paper money as a relatively painless method to show their support. They, in fact, ended up issuing around 300,000 pounds, a balance that they had hoped to pay off by issuing even more paper money. Parliament proceeded to bar all future issues of this form of currency in America, and New Jersey, the colony with the largest per capita debt, was...
