Final answer:
New Jersey faced unrest when the first European settlers arrived due to conflicts over religious laws, land ownership, and governance, leading to the colony's eventual division. A diverse population from Northern Europe and Africa lived under a framework that promoted religious freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the first European settlers arrived, New Jersey was a land experiencing significant unrest. The early years saw conflicts over religion, land ownership, and governance. The predominantly Puritan settlers, favoring their own group through legislation, clashed with leaders like Philip Carteret, while disputes over land and quitrents strained relations with settlers given land by the Duke of York, pre-dating Carteret and Berkeley's proprietorship.
These conflicts culminated in the division of New Jersey into East Jersey and West Jersey in an attempt to create a more stable and attractive colony, with East Jersey under George Carteret and West Jersey intended as a Quaker colony under Edward Byllynge.
The region's population was diverse from the outset, filled with settlers from different parts of Northern Europe and Africa. Religious toleration drew people from various backgrounds, such as Belgians, Scandinavians, Germans, and Quakers, who coexisted with the indigenous peoples already occupying the land.
The Concessions and Agreement, adopted in 1665, provided the framework for the colony's governance and promoted religious freedom, which was particularly appealing to the Puritans and later the Quakers.