In 1768, Stockton had his first taste of government service when he was appointed to the governing Council of New Jersey; he was later (177417) appointed to the [[New Jersey Supreme Court]]. He first took a moderate stance in the troubles between the colonies and [[Great Britain]]. He did not favor separation; rather, he suggested in 1764 that some colonial members be appointed to the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]. However, he changed his position a year later when the controversy over the [[Stamp Act 1765|Stamp Act]] arose. In 1774 he drafted and sent to [[William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth|Lord Dartmouth]] "a plan of self-government for America, independent of Parliament, without renouncing allegiance to [[the Crown]]." This Commonwealth approach was not acceptable to the King.
He served the College, afterward known as [[Princeton University]], as a trustee. In 1766 and 1767, he gave up his practice for the purpose of visiting [[England]], [[Scotland]], and [[Ireland]]. While he was in Scotland, his personal efforts resulted in the acceptance of the presidency of the College by the Reverend [[John Witherspoon]].
