The Middle Colonies

Settling the Middle Colonies

• The Middle Colonies were:   New York New Jersey   Delaware Pennsylvania • The Middle Colonies had a better climate, rainfall, and soil than New England • Were known as the “Breadbasket Colonies” because they produced so much wheat, corn, and rye.

Settling the Middle Colonies

• The region had several large harbors on the Atlantic coast • These harbors were connected to many deep rivers that reached far inland • Deep rivers allowed larger ships to travel to inland settlements

New England New Netherlands New Sweden Jamestown

New Netherlands

• Few people wanted to leave the Netherlands for the New World because of prosperity at home • By 1640, New Netherlands only had a population of 2,000 people and was a struggling colony • In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant was put in charge to make the colony more successful • He expanded the lands of New Netherlands south • He also took over the colony of New Sweden in 1655

New England New Netherlands Jamestown

New Netherlands

• New Netherlands controlled more land, but still didn’t have enough people to be successful • To increase the population, the colony started allowing immigration from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and even Brazil • Also, one of the first groups of Jews to settle in North America came to the colony

New Netherlands

• King Charles II of England wanted to control the entire Atlantic coast of North America without interruption • New Netherlands split England’s colonies of Jamestown to the south and New England to the north

New Netherlands

• The King sent his brother, the Duke of York, to take over New Netherland • The King told the Duke if he could take the colony, he could have the land for himself • The Duke of York arrived with 4 English warships and ordered Stuyvesant to surrender • The Dutch could not resist. With only 150 soldiers, they surrendered • England gained control of the entire Atlantic coast without firing a shot.

New England New York Jamestown

New York & New Jersey

• New Netherland was split into 2 new English colonies: New Jersey and New York (named after the Duke of York) • The Duke of York kept the colony of New York for himself, and gave New Jersey to his two friends, John Berkeley and George Carteret • The English treated the Dutch settlers in the colony fairly, and most chose to stay • Most settlers opted to live in New York • To attract more people to New Jersey, Berkeley and Carteret offered cheap land to new immigrants

New Jersey

• Many of the new settlers were members of a group called the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers • Quakers believed:  All people are created equal    Refused to fight (personally or in wars) Refused to swear loyalty to any king or country (allegiance was to God) Tolerance of diverse religious beliefs • Quakers were often persecuted in England for their beliefs • They hoped to find a

refuge

, or safe place, to worship their religion as they pleased • In 1674, a group of Quakers bought Berkeley’s share of New Jersey and founded the first Quaker settlement in North America

Pennsylvania

• King Charles II owed a large amount of money Admiral Penn • In 1681, King Charles II gave a large amount of land in North America to Penn’s son, William, in lieu of a cash payment • This land was called

Pennsylvania

, which means “Penn’s Woods” • William Penn, a Quaker, wanted everyone in Pennsylvania to live together peacefully • In 1682, Penn wrote

The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania

  This set up the government of Pennsylvania Created the General Assembly, Pennsylvania’s legislature, which would make the laws for the colony    It gave citizens freedom of religion It gave citizens freedom of speech It gave citizens the right to a trial by jury

Delaware

• • • • • • • Penn also became the owner of what is now Delaware Penn wanted to establish a peaceful relationship with the Native Americans.

In a letter to the Lenni Lenape Indians in Pennsylvania, he wrote:  “I desire to enjoy it [the land] with your love and consent, that we may always live together as neighbors and friends.” William Penn learned to speak the language of the Lenni Lenape Indians in Pennsylvania and tried to treat them fairly In 1682, William Penn met with Tamanend, leader of the Lenni Lenape, and paid the tribe for most of the land King Charles had given him.

A long -lasting peace formed between the Quakers and Lenni Lenape.

A quote from Tamanend: “We will live in love with William Penn and his children as long as the creeks and rivers run.”