| 1524 | Giovanni da Verrazano explores the coast of New Jersey |  |
| 1609 | Henry Hudson explors the Newark Bay |
| 1638 | The first settlers arrive from Sweden and purchase land in Cape May from the Lenni-Lenape |
| 1660 | The Dutch settled the first town, named Bergen; which later became Jersey City when the English took control. |
| 1664 | The Dutch lost control to the English when James, The Duke of York sent his ships to take control of the land from Connecticut to Delaware. He was granted the land from his brother King Charles II. |
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