Happy 345th Birthday, New Jersey!

"On June 24, 1664 the name " New Jersey " first appeared, as the name given by the British royal government for a brand new colony established between the Hudson River, the Delaware River, and the Atlantic Ocean. In March 1664 King Charles II of England granted his brother James, Duke of York lands in the New World including Maine, Long Island and territory between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers. On June 24, 1664, James presented a valuable portion of this land to John Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret in recognition of their loyalty to the crown during the English Civil War. Described by one of the Duke's followers as some of the "most improvabelest land" held by James, this new proprietary colony was called Nova Caesaria or New Jersey." courtesy NJ Dept. of State website