Please Do Now  If you were there …….. You are a farmer in southern Germany in Religious wars have torn your country apart for many years. Now you hear stories about a place in America where people of all religions are welcome. But the leaders of the colony-and many of its people-are English. You would not know their language or customs. Still, you would be free to live and worship as you like. How would you feel about moving to a country of strangers?

Chapter 3- Section 3 The Middle Colonies  BIG IDEA: People from many nations settled in the middle colonies.

Main Idea 1: The English created New York and New Jersey from former Dutch territory. New York Dutch founded New Netherland in 1613 as fur trading post. New Amsterdam was center of fur trade. Peter Stuyvesant led the colony from English captured colony in 1664 and renamed it New York. New Jersey English took control in The colony occupied land between the Hudson and Delaware rivers. It had a diverse population, including Dutch, Swedes, Finns, and Scots.

 The Middle colonies were different from the northern and southern colonies because many people were fur traders and came from diverse backgrounds.

Main Idea 2: William Penn established the colony of Pennsylvania  Quakers, who supported nonviolence and religious tolerance, were persecuted in England  William Penn founded Pennsylvania, a larger colony for Quakers that provided a safe home.  He believed in dealing fairly with local American Indians, welcoming immigrants, and tolerating other religions.  Penn limited his power, established an elected assembly, and promised religious freedom to all Christians.

Main Idea 3: The economy of the middle colonies was supported by trade and staple crops.  Staple crops are crops that are always needed  Middle colonies staple crops included wheat, oats, and barley  There were slave sin the middle colonies, but indentured servants were a larger source of labor

Main Idea 3 (cont.)  Slaves contributed to the economy of the middle colonies by working in cities at skilled crafts such as blacksmithing and carpentry  Trade was important to the middle colonies because merchants in New York and Philadelphia exported staple crops to foreign markets (Britain, West Indies)  Women contributed to colonial economies by running farms, households, businesses, and practicing medicine