The Middle Colonies

The Middle Colonies - Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Founding William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 with a royal charter from King Charles II. Pennsylvania means Penn’s Woodlands. When Penn was 22, he became a Quaker, which ruined any chance of a good career for him. Quakers were hated in England, so Penn went to America to start a new colony where Quakers could practice their religion peacefully.

Religious Fairness and Quakers Penn wanted his new colony to be open to everyone, not just certain religious or ethnic groups. He let Protestants, Catholics, and Jews come to his colony. Quakers were Protestant Reformers. They were very peaceful, tolerant, and God-fearing people. They believed that everyone was equal in God’s eyes, and no one person was better than another. Quakers even let women preach, and they wouldn’t bow to nobles. They also spoke out against war.

Settlers A variety of settlers came to Pennsylvania from England, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The Pennsylvania Dutch weren’t actually Dutch; They were German, but none of the other colonists could pronounce Deutsch (doich), so they called themselves Dutch. Between 1730-1750, Slaves made up about 1/3 of all new arrivals.

Philadelphia Philadelphia soon became Pennsylvania’s capital. Philadelphia is Greek for “brotherly love”. Penn had been planning Philadelphia from the early days of his colony. One visitor noted that Philadelphia was, “the most noble, large, and well-built city I have ever seen.”

The Middle Colonies Delaware

Delaware Delaware was first art of the lower section of Pennsylvania Settlers in lower Pennsylvania did not like having t send delegates to Philadelphia for meetings In 1704 William Penn told the settlers that they could break away and form a new colony The settlers called the new colony, Delaware

The Middle Colonies New Jersey

Founding New Jersey was founded in 1664. At the time of the English takeover, New York stretched as far south as the Delaware River. New Jersey was formed when there was to much land in New York so the Duke of York gave land to some of his friends (Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret) and they set up a proprietary colony. (Proprietary Colony – where king would give land to someone in exchange for yearly payment. These proprietors were free to divide the land and rent it to others. They made laws for colony, but had to respect rights of colonists under English law.

What was It Like? New Jersey had fertile land. People would come to New Jersey because it was a place of abundance (wealth and resources). Settlers came from all over to New Jersey including Finland, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Sweden. There were also English and Dutch settlers who moved there from the colony of New York. In addition, some New England colonists, hoping to find better farmland, chose to relocate to New Jersey. New Jersey later became a colony under the control of the English crown called a royal colony. The colony’s charter protected religious freedom and the rights of an assembly that voted on local matters.

New York

New Netherland * Primarily owned by the Dutch who set up colony along the Hudson River The settlers traded furs with the Native Americans Built settlement of New Amsterdam Dutch officials gave land to a few rich families to encourage farming (sold to other families) People settled in the trading center of New Amsterdam. Colonists came to practice religion freely. Slaves wanted (made up ¼ of the population) Accepted all religions

Rivalry 1664- rivalry between the Netherlands and England was huge August; English warships arrived Not good Battle for land of New Netherland was eminent.

Winner of the Colony Peter Stuyvesant tried to defend the colony Since he taxed the people and had harsh rule the colonists didn’t like him and did not follow. Also had little gunpowder and weapons (no followers+ no weapons= no victory) Surrendered without fighting at all King Charles gave colony of New Netherland to his brother, the duke of York. Renamed colony New York in his brother’s honor.