1. New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
The Middle Colonies
New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware

2. New York - Founder
Originally set up by the Dutch and were lead by Henry Hudson
Rivalry between England and the Netherlands for control of trade
English warships entered New Amsterdam in 1664 and took the colony to control trade
King Charles II gave New Netherland to his brother, the Duke of York. He renamed the colony New York.

3. New York - Facts
Geography and climate – hot summers, cold winters, mountains, rivers, fertile farmland, swampy near coastline
Economy –fur trapping, lumber, shipping, farming  wheat, flax, corn
Religion – religious freedom but most were Dutch Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Puritans
Politics – Governor with representative government

4. New Jersey
Founder – originally part of New York, the Duke of York thought the colony was too big so he gave land to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.
Set up a proprietary colony – the king gave land to one or more people in return for a yearly payment.

5. New Jersey cont’d Geography – large coastline with fertile farmland
Economy – farming, cattle, fishing
Religion – many different religions
Politics - In 1702, became a royal colony – a colony under direct control of the English crown

6. Pennsylvania Founder – William Penn, friend of the king
Religion – most were Quakers – protestant reformers who believed all people were equal in God’s eyes.
They spoke out against war, allowed women to preach, and refused to serve in the army.
However, Penn also let any other type of religion in.

7. Pennsylvania cont’d
Geography – fertile with both mountains and farmland
Politics – delegates and assembly (rep. gov’t)
Economy – farming, cattle
People – Penn sent brochures to get people to come to PA
Large group of German Protestants came. They became known as the PA Dutch because people could not say Deutsch.
Penn also treated the Native Americans fairly.

8. Delaware
Was part of PA known as Pennsylvania’s Lower Counties. However, delegates from this county did not want to go to a distant assembly in Philadelphia so Penn allowed them to elect their own assembly.
In 1704, broke away as the colony of Delaware.
Religion – religious freedom
Geography – coastline
Economy – Farming, trading, mined iron ore for guns, nails, and tools.

9. Life in the Middle Colonies
Majority of people were farmers
Raised wheat, barley, and rye as cash crops – crops sold for money at market
Exported so much grain known as Breadbasket Colonies
Also raised herds of cattle and pigs
Farms here were larger than those in NE
Hired workers to help with planting (there were few slaves)
Those who were not farmers were skilled artisans – manufactured crafts such as clocks, watches, locks, nails, paper.

10. Homes
Because houses were farther apart, counties rather than towns were the centers of local government. Different groups built different types of houses.
Swedish – log cabins
Dutch – red bricks
Germans – panels of wood and stone with wood burning stoves.

11. The Backcountry
In the 1700’s, thousands of German and Scotch-Irish settlers arrived in Philadelphia.
From there they traveled west to the backcountry – the area of land along the eastern slopes of the Appalachian mountains.
Had to clear thick forests and many settled on Indian territory.