Middle Colonies Chapter 3.3

Main Idea People from many different countries settled in the Middle Colonies for a variety of reasons, including religious freedom.

England and the Colonies In 1660 England had two clusters of colonies: Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island to the north and Maryland and Virginia to the south. Located in the middle was the Dutch controlled lands. The Dutch had settled a colony on Manhattan Island, called New Amsterdam. In 1626 the Dutch company had bought Manhattan from the Manhates people for small quantities of beads and other goods.

England and the Colonies England wanted the Dutch colony. Why? Link their colonies Excellent harbors for trade The Dutch governor was unpopular with the colonists due to heavy taxes and strict laws. The English sent a fleet of ships to New Amsterdam harbor and the governor surrendered without a fight.

New York Colony King Charles II of England gave the colony to his brother, the Duke of York. He named the new colony New York. New York was a proprietary colony. A proprietary colony is a colony in which the owner, or proprietor, owned all the land and controlled the government. It differed from the New England colonies, where voters elected an assembly.

New York Colony By 1683 the colony had grown to 12,000 people. The Duke allowed religious freedom. The colonists wanted a representative government, and eventually in 1691 the English government allowed New York to elect a legislature.

New Jersey Colony The Duke of York gave the southern part of his colony, between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Cartaret. They named their colony New Jersey, after the island of Jersey in the English Channel.

New Jersey Colony To attract settlers, the proprietors offered large tracts of land and generous terms. They promised: Freedom of religion Trial by jury Representative assembly This assembly would make local laws and set tax rates.

Pennsylvania William Penn’s father made a loan to the king. Penn inherited the king’s promise to repay the loan. Instead of asking for money, Penn asked for land in America.

Pennsylvania Penn belonged to a Protestant group called the Society of Friends, or Quakers. They believed that everyone had an inner light, which could direct them to salvation. The Quakers were pacifists: they refused to use force or fight in wars. Quakers were persecuted in England because they challenged the Anglican Church and political authority. Quakers believe that everyone is equal and did not show humility to lords. They were tolerant of others’ beliefs.

William Penn He was a Quaker. He asked for land and a charter in America to start a colony. Penn’s colony became known as Pennsylvania. He wrote their first Constitution, the Charter of Liberties. He advertised the colony widely throughout Europe. He demonstrated toleration and respect in his dealings with the Native Americans: He made treaties to gain access to the land.

The Middle Colonies Excellent harbors River Hudson Fertile land for farming; longer growing season than the New England colonies. Grazing land for cattle and pigs Mountains contained iron ore.

Summary