European contact began with the exploration of the Jersey Shore by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. At the time of European contact, many tribes of the Lenape lived in the area.
In the 17th century, the New Jersey region came under the control of the Swedes and the Dutch, resulting in a struggle in which the Dutch proved victorious (1655). However, the English seized the Dutch colony of New Netherland in 1664, renaming it the Province of New Jersey. New Jersey became one of the Thirteen Colonies which broke away from Britain in the American Revolution, adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Becoming a state upon the formation of the United States, New Jersey saw significant action during the American Revolutionary War. New Jersey's delegates signed the Articles of Confederation in 1779. Princeton acted as the nation's capital for four months in 1783, while Trenton served as the capital in November and December 1784. Trenton was also under consideration as the permanent U.S. capital, along with New York City and Philadelphia, before southern states, led by Thomas Jefferson, pushed for a capital to be established south of the Potomac River.[1]
In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the United States Constitution.[2]
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