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 ColoniesDelaware

DelawareDelaware was first art of the lower section of

PennsylvaniaSettlers 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 ColoniesNew Jersey

FoundingNew 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 RiverThe settlers traded furs with the Native AmericansBuilt settlement of New AmsterdamDutch 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

Rivalry1664- rivalry between the Netherlands and

England was huge August; English warships arrivedNot good Battle for land of New Netherland was

eminent.

Winner of the ColonyPeter 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 allKing Charles gave colony of New Netherland

to his brother, the duke of York.Renamed colony New York in his brother’s

honor.