The Middle Colonies

The middle colonies: Included: New York Pennsylvania New Jersey Delaware

First Settlers New Netherland = Albany, NY area Some of the first settlers in the region were the Dutch and Swedish. New Netherland = Albany, NY area New Amsterdam = Manhattan Island, NY New Sweden = Delaware and New Jersey

Important Citizens Peter Minuit - the Dutch Governor who purchased Manhattan from the Indians Sir George Calvert- “The Lord of Baltimore” William Penn - A Quaker who established a colony in Pennsylvannia. Advocate of religious freedom Benjamin Franklin - One of the founding fathers

Farming Farmers in the middle colonies had many advantages: Rich soil Mild climate Long growing season Deep rivers

Crops for sale Because of good soil and climate people could produce crops to sell These became known as Cash Crops- crops grown to sell for profit They produced so much grain they became known as the bread basket colonies

Port cities Many farmers in the middle colonies shipped their goods through Philadelphia and New York They shipped them via the Delaware river and the Hudson river

Conestoga Wagon Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the Conestoga wagon It was: Larger More sturdy Covered Large wheels

New York farmers Owning land was very important to the colonists 5 families owned most of the land (their estates could cover up to 2 million acres) The owner or Patroon ran their estates like tiny kingdoms People who farmed the land had to pay rent

Business, Trade, and Cities

Cities Grow Quickly By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York were the two largest cities in the colonies They were important trading and manufacturing centers Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone They were lined with shops and inns Crowds of people spoke many languages

A different kind of community: The middle colonies were settled by people from many countries with different: Beliefs Customs languages

Many Religions: The colonies did not have any single religion that was more powerful then the others Religions included Roman Catholic Jewish Amish Mennonite Calvinists Quaker Lutherans

Country Customs and Fun People worked together to: Clear land Barn raising Sheep shearing Quilting

The Frontier Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast and the banks of large rivers As more people arrived they moved further inland Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer limits of the colonies For the middle colonies the frontier was the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

People on the frontier People who settled here were mainly seeking new adventure and freedom They had to partake in extra chores like: Cutting logs for their house and fires Make furniture Make candles Make clothes Educate their children

Dangers on the frontier Because families on the frontier all faced many dangers and hardships: They gained a spirit of independence and equality Women worked alongside men Different culture groups shared thoughts and ideas There were no social class distinctions