NEW JERSEY - New Jersey, a state with a rich and layered history, holds a name that is deeply connected to its English colonial past. But before it was the Garden State, and even before it was a unified English province, the land was known by several other names, reflecting a complex history involving Native American inhabitants, Dutch traders, and Swedish settlers.
The Native American Name: Lenapehoking
For thousands of years before any European ships arrived, the land was home to the Lenni-Lenape people. They were the original inhabitants, and their vast territory, which covered all of modern-day New Jersey as well as parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, was known as Lenapehoking, which translates to "Land of the Lenape." Another name they are believed to have used for the area is Scheyichbi, meaning "the edge of the water."
The European Colonial Era: A Land of Many Names
1. New Netherland: The first European claim to the region came from the Dutch. In 1609, explorer Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch, claimed the area. For the next half-century, the land that is now New Jersey was considered part of the larger Dutch colony of New Netherland. The Dutch established trading posts and small settlements but did not extensively colonize the area.
2. New Sweden: For a brief period, another European power had a foothold in the region. In the mid-17th century, Swedish colonists established the colony of New Sweden, which was centered along the Delaware River and included parts of southern New Jersey. However, this colony was conquered and absorbed by the Dutch in 1655.
3. The Province of New Jersey: The name "New Jersey" was born in 1664, following the English takeover of New Netherland. King Charles II of England granted the entire territory to his brother, James, the Duke of York. The Duke, in turn, granted the land between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers to two loyal supporters: Sir George Carteret and Lord John Berkeley.
They named this new proprietary colony the Province of New Jersey in honor of the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel, which was Sir George Carteret's ancestral home and a place where he had sheltered the future King Charles II during the English Civil War.
4. East and West Jersey: For a time, the colony was not a single entity. The proprietors divided their territory, creating two distinct provinces: East Jersey (controlled by Carteret) and West Jersey (controlled by Berkeley). These two provinces had their own capitals and governments and developed unique cultural identities. In 1702, the two were reunited as a single royal colony.
So, what was the original name of New Jersey? From the perspective of its first people, it was Lenapehoking. For its first European colonizers, it was part of New Netherland. It wasn't until the English conquest in 1664 that it was officially christened the Province of New Jersey, the name that would endure when it became the third state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
Sources:
- The New Jersey Department of State - Division of Archives & Records Management
- The New Jersey Historical Commission
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- The New Netherland Institute
- Historical accounts of the Lenni-Lenape and the Province of New Jersey
