A New Jersey Pledge Once the ancient land of the Lenni-Lenape the Revolution’s Crossroads became our destiny Sitting in the middle this little colony forged the link so our country could be free With more battles fought for our liberty we became our nation’s state number three Small yet powerful we pledge our hearts to thee This place we call home the state of New Jersey 1
Land of the Lenape Long ago New Jersey was part of an ancient land called Lenapehoking which means Land of the Lenape For twelve thousand years the Lenape lived peacefully in small villages along its many rivers and streams Lenape means the common people Sometimes they are called the Lenni-Lenape which loosely translates We the people Now they are called the Delaware for the Delaware River which runs through the heart of their ancestral homeland The Lenape were divided into several areas Those north of the Raritan River including 3
