John Hart was born sometime between 1706 and 1713, probably in Stonington, Connecticut, or shortly after his family moved to New Jersey. He was the son of Edward Hart and Martha Furman Hart. Edward was a farmer, militia officer, and public figure who settled near Hopewell in what became Hunterdon County. The uncertainty surrounding John’s birth year reflects the fragmentary records of many colonial rural families. Hart grew up in a farming household on the New Jersey frontier. Formal schooling was probably limited, and no college education is known. He learned the practical skills of agriculture, land measurement, livestock management, accounts, and community negotiation. His father’s militia and civic service provided an example of local leadership grounded in property and reputation rather than professional training. As a young man Hart acquired land and established himself as a farmer. He married Deborah Scudder in 1742. Their long marriage produced a large family, commonly reported as thirteen children, creating extensive household and economic responsibilities. Hart operated mills and invested in property as well as farming. His prosperity depended on family labor, hired work, and at least some enslaved labor, reflecting the mixed labor systems of colonial New Jersey. Religious life also mattered. Hart supported the Baptist community and provided land for a meetinghouse, though his precise personal affiliation has sometimes been described differently. His willingness to assist neighbors and his straightforward manner helped build local trust. Long before signing the Declaration of Independence, Hart entered public service through county offices and election to the New Jersey assembly. He was already a mature farmer and father when the imperial crisis began. His early life had been shaped by migration, limited schooling, landownership, marriage, a large household, militia culture, and the slow accumulation of community authority. Unlike younger revolutionary lawyers, Hart brought to politics decades of practical experience representing rural constituents and managing the risks of an agricultural economy.