The northeastern U.S. state of New Jersey is a popular vacation destination with 130 miles of coastline on the Atlantic. The city of Jersey City sits across the Hudson River from Lower Manhattan. There are several attractions in the area, including Liberty State Park, which is home to the Statue of Liberty and the historic Immigration Museum. The Jersey Shore is home to many notable resort towns, including Asbury Park, which is known for its Victorian architecture.
The first Europeans to arrive in the state were the Dutch. In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano anchored his ship in Sandy Hook and discovered what would become New Jersey. In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed through Newark Bay and claimed the land for the Dutch. These small trading colonies became permanent settlements and were called “Delaware Indians.” The first Europeans to land in the area were the Dutch. The Dutch claimed the area in 1664 and began settling in the state.
Native Americans inhabited the region more than 10,000 years ago. Their name was Scheyichbi, which may have meant “land of the shell money” or “land of the eagles.” In 1524, Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano became the first European to visit the area. The area was soon colonized by German, Swedish, and Dutch colonists. In 1664, English settlers came to the region and took control of the land.
In 1524, Giovanni de Verrazano explored the Delaware area and anchored in Sandy Hook. In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed through the Newark Bay to claim the land for the Dutch. The Dutch subsequently began claiming land for their settlers. In the 17th century, the first permanent European settlement in the state was Bergen. In the next century, the French took control of New Netherlands and colonized the entire island.
In 1650, the state was ruled by the Supreme Court of New Jersey to allow same-sex marriages. The decision was a big deal, but the ramifications of same-sex marriages are still uncertain. In some states, the right to marry a non-married woman depends on the state’s laws. In the case of the latter, a court ruling is necessary. The legality of a same-sex marriage is a major issue in the US.
In 1840, the state abolished slavery in New Jersey. Its constitution later incorporated amendments banning slavery and granting the rights of black people to freed slaves. During the nineteenth century, industrialization in northern New Jersey accelerated, as the Morris Canal allowed coal from eastern Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley to be transported northward to growing industries. As a result, Newark’s population grew from two thousand to 260 thousand people in a single year.
At the time of the first contact with the Europeans, the Lenape were the dominant people. The land of New Jersey was known as Scheyichbi, which means’sheep’ in Lenape. They practiced maize agriculture and were a part of a matrilinear society. They were a highly urbanized state and developed a complex system of government. In the early 17th century, they first encountered the Dutch. They forged a close relationship with Europeans through the trade of fur.