Thornton Line facts for kids
<mapframe text="The dividing lines between the original provinces of West and East New Jersey. The Thorton line is shown in blue" width=250 height=350> { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "page", "title": "West and East Jersey Dividing Lines.map" } </mapframe> The Thornton Line was a special boundary line in the old Province of New Jersey. It was drawn in 1696 during the time when America was still a group of colonies ruled by England. This line was meant to divide New Jersey into two parts: East New Jersey and West New Jersey.
New Jersey was split into these two areas after a big land grant in 1664. The Duke of York gave this land to two important people, Sir George Carteret and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton. Later, they sold some of their rights in a deal called the Quintipartite Deed in 1676.
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What Was the Thornton Line?
The Thornton Line was an attempt to fix problems with earlier boundary lines. Before it, there was the Keith line (drawn in 1686) and then the Coxe–Barclay Line (drawn in 1688). These earlier lines had mistakes. The people who owned East Jersey even said they didn't agree with the Coxe-Barclay Line in 1695.
Why Was a New Line Needed?
Imagine trying to split a pizza perfectly in half, but your first cut is wobbly! That's a bit like what happened with the first lines drawn in New Jersey. The original lines, like the Keith Line, weren't very accurate. This caused confusion and arguments over who owned what land.
Fixing Old Mistakes
The Thornton Line was surveyed to be a more accurate way to divide the land. It was hoped this new line would solve the arguments between the owners of East Jersey and West Jersey. They wanted a clear boundary so everyone knew where their land ended and the other's began.
Was the Thornton Line Used?
Even though the Thornton Line was surveyed and appeared on some maps, like Worlidge's map of the two Jersey colonies, it was never officially accepted. This means it didn't become the final, legal boundary. The arguments over the exact border continued for some time.
