Delaware Early History

First Early Inhabitants

Early history examines the archaeological record that tells the story of the first inhabitants of Delaware. Learn about the history and culture of the first inhabitants, and what lessons it might teach us about the early history of Delaware.

• 1400 - The Lenni Lenape, Native Americans of the Algonkians, settle along the Delaware.

Two groups of Native Americans lived in the Delaware region when European explorers first visited the area. The Lenape lived along the Delaware River; English settlers later called them the "Delaware."The Nanticoke lived along the Nanticoke River in the southwestern part of the state.

European explorers reached the coast of what is now our nation’s first state during the 16th and early 17th centuries. They found the region already populated by tribes of Algonkian Indians. These groups of Native Americans were among the first to come into contact with early settlers. The Leni-Lenape tribe lived along the Delaware River to the north. The Nanticoke tribe occupied the area along the Nanticoke River in the southwestern part of the region. Because they lived close to the Delaware River and Bay, these Native Americans became known as the Delaware.