Long before European settlers arrived, the Delaware Valley was home to Native Americans for over 10,000 years. The Lenni-Lenape, whose name means “Original People,” developed a distinct culture in the region, living in harmony with the land and maintaining trade networks with neighboring tribes across the Northeast. Their presence shaped the Delaware Valley long before the Dutch, Swedes, Finns, and English arrived in the 1600s, when European exploration and colonization began to alter Indigenous life.

The Dutch were among the first Europeans in the region. In 1609, they claimed the Delaware Bay and River as part of New Netherland, primarily to expand the fur trade. Dutch outposts extended into New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut, and they introduced enslaved Africans into the region. Dutch control weakened in the 1630s and 1640s as the Swedes established New Sweden, but Peter Stuyvesant recaptured the area in 1655. One of Salem County’s earliest Dutch settlers, Foppe Jansen Outhout, purchased land from Lenni-Lenape leaders in 1665, established a plantation at Upper Penn’s Neck, and later assisted John Fenwick as an interpreter. Though brief, Dutch rule influenced land practices, place names, and trade routes in southern New Jersey.

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Swedes and Finns also contributed to early settlement. In 1638, New Sweden was established along the Delaware River under Peter Minuit. Settlers included Swedes, Finns, Dutch, Germans, and a few African slaves. Communities grew in Salem County, particularly in Pennsville, Church Landing, and Elsinboro. Prominent families like the Sinnicksons, Jacquetts, Nielsons, and Hendricksons shaped the region. Anders Seneca, or Sinnickson, arrived in 1656, signed the West Jersey Concessions in 1676, and owned land at Fenwick’s Point. Jean Paul Jacquett helped found the Swedish Lutheran Church in 1714, later St. George’s Episcopal Church.

The English also attempted settlement. In 1641, Puritans from New Haven, Connecticut, established a small outpost at Varken’s Kill near the Salem River. Tobacco cultivation and fur trading brought them into conflict with the Dutch and Swedes. Swedish Governor Johan Printz built Fort Elfsborg nearby, and illness and political pressures eventually dissolved the settlement by 1675.

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Into this complex landscape entered John Fenwick, born in 1618 in England and trained at Gray’s Inn. He served in Cromwell’s army, married Elizabeth Covert, and converted to Quakerism in 1665. His refusal to follow Anglican practices led to imprisonment under King Charles II. In 1669, Fenwick purchased a half-share of New Jersey from Lord Berkeley, intending to create a Quaker colony in what became the Salem Tenth. Legal disputes over ownership were mediated by William Penn, allowing Fenwick to retain one-tenth of West Jersey. He mortgaged land to finance his departure and avoid debtor’s prison.

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Fenwick began selling land in 1674–1675 to fund and populate the colony. Early settlers included William Malster, John Adams, William Hughes, and Quaker women Joan Harding and Elizabeth Smith. Settlement began before Fenwick arrived aboard the Griffin, making Salem the first successful English-speaking settlement on the Delaware and one of the first Quaker community in British North America. Despite his vision for religious freedom, self-governance, and equitable land ownership, Fenwick faced constant challenges. His authority was undermined by surveyors and disputes with creditors, and he was repeatedly arrested by colonial officials. By 1682, he surrendered all rights to West Jersey to William Penn, dying in 1683 disowned by the Quakers and in financial ruin.

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Fenwick’s legacy endures as the founder of the Salem Tenth, advancing ideals of religious freedom and self-governance. His life, set against the backdrop of Indigenous resilience and early European settlement, reflects the complex story of the Delaware Valley—a story of vision, struggle, and enduring impact.

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