Tax Protest Document 1676: The First in a Long History of New Jersey Protests Against Taxes

Abstract

The document at the end of this brief introduction was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries in 2013. Attributed to William Penn, it is a protest again customs duties collected by New York authorities from the early English Quaker settlers of West Jersey. As such it is the earliest known tax protest in New Jersey, but its real importance lies in the arguments used in the document. It is remarkable that this has survived. After a brief introduction providing context about the history behind the protest, a transcription is provided, followed by a reproduction of the original document.