Short History of New Jersey
first people to live on the land now known as New Jersey
were the Delaware Indians. They lived here starting at
least 10,000 years ago. Anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 Delaware
Indians lived in the area when the first Europeans arrived.
Their name means "original people" or "genuine
people." They spoke an Algonquian dialect.
they were considered one tribe, the Delaware Indians didn't
act as one unified group. Instead, they lived in small
communities made up mostly of extended family members.
The men would hunt or fish during the day. Depending on
the season they might search for clams off the Jersey shore
or hunt in the woods. The women worked in the gardens.
They grew squash, beans, sweet potatoes, and corn.
the first explorers came, the Delaware Indians lived in
parts of Delaware, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania.
Europeans called them the Delaware Indians. (For more information
on the Delaware Indians, visit their official
Next: Colonial Times