Who founded New Jersey?

The colony of New Jersey was founded by Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley in 1664. New Jersey was named after the English island Isle of Jersey. Berkeley was given charge of the west side of the colony while Carteret was in charge of the east side.

Before the founding of New Jersey by the English, the Dutch, Finns, and Swedes set up small trading posts in the region. The first European settlement on the land that would become New Jersey was the town of Bergen in 1660.

After establishing the colony, Carteret and Berkeley sold land to new settlers at low prices. They allowed colonists to have religious and political freedom, creating an ethnically diverse colony.