The Delaware Indians were the first inhabitants of the area that is now New Jersey. Beginning at least 10,000 years ago, they inhabited this area. The number of Delaware Indians in the region ranged from 8,000 to 20,000 when the first European settlers arrived. "Original people" or "genuine people" are what their name denotes. They used an Algonquian tongue.
The Delaware Indians did not behave as a cohesive tribe while being regarded as one. Instead, they resided in small towns where the majority of the residents were relatives. During the day, the guys would go hunting or fishing. They might go hunting in the woods or looking for clams off the Jersey shore depending on the time of year. The gardens were tended to by women. Squash, beans, sweet potatoes, and corn were all grown there.
Giovanni di Verrazano was the first European to explore New Jersey, sometime around 1524. He anchored off Sandy Hook after sailing close to the shore. Following Henry Hudson's passage into Newark Bay in 1609, New Jersey's colonial history began. Despite being British, Hudson worked for the Netherlands and claimed the territory on their behalf. The name of it was New Netherlands.
Where the current municipalities of Hoboken and Jersey City are situated, little trading colonies arose. The earliest Europeans to settle in New Jersey were the Dutch, the Swedes, and the Finns. The first permanent European settlement in New Jersey was Bergen, which was established in 1660.
When the British acquired control of the territory and incorporated it to their colonies in 1664, the Dutch lost New Netherlands. They divided the land in half and granted two owners power over each half: Lord John Berkley and Sir George Carteret, who were in charge of the east side (who was in charge of the west side). After the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel, the region was given the official name New Jersey. The Isle of Jersey has been governed by Carteret.
