US History
Fort Burrows
4.2 -- The Middle Colonies
The Middle Colonies attracted a wide variety of immigrants who settled on farms and in the cities of Philadelphia and New York. The Middle Colonies are…
New YorkNew Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
patroon – owner of a huge estate in a Dutch colony
proprietary colony – land given to one or more people by the King for a yearly payment (rent)
royal colony – a colony under the direct control of the English crown
Quakers – Protestant reformers who believe in the equality of all people
Pennsylvania Dutch – German-speaking Protestant
cash crop – crops sold for money at market
oppression – unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power
refuge – a place that provides shelter or protection
promote – to contribute to the growth or prosperity of
repository – a place where large amounts of something is stored
Setting the Scene:
A doctor from the colony of Maryland traveled North to Philadelphia in the summer of 1744. Dr. Hamilton kept his eyes open to see how the customs in that city differed from those of Maryland. Merchants opened for business much earlier, he discovered: at five in the morning. For dinner at a tavern, Hamilton sat around a single large table with 24 other diners. “Unfortunately, the ‘great hall’ was well stocked with flies,” he complained. However, what most surprised Hamilton was the variety of people at the table:
“I dined at a tavern with a very mixed company of different nations and religions. There were Scots, English, Dutch, Germans, and Irish. There were Roman Catholics, Church of England men, Presbyterians, Quakers, Moravians, and one Jew.” Alexander Hamilton, Itinerarium, 1744
By 1700, England had four colonies in the region South of New England. These colonies became known as the Middle Colonies because they were located between New England and the Southern Colonies. As Dr. Hamilton observed, the Middle Colonies had a much greater mix of people than either New England or the Southern Colonies.
New Netherland Becomes NEW YORK
↔ Dutch set-up the colony of New Netherlands along Hudson River
↔ Built settlement of New Amsterdam, including a port, to trade with Indians
↔ To encourage farming, Dutch gov’t granted huge parcels of land to rich families
↔ Huge estate owners were called patroons; great power and could charge rent
↔ Dutch colonists were Protestant but allowed ALL religions to buy land
↔ By 1664, rivalry for trade and colonies developed between England and the
Netherlands
↔ New Netherland surrendered without firing a shot; few weapons/gunpowder;
Governor of New Netherland was unpopular due to harsh rules and heavy taxes
↔ King Charles II of England gave New Netherland to his brother, the Duke of York
↔ King renamed the colony New York in the duke’s honor
NEW JERSEY Separates from New York
↔ New York stretched as far south as the Delaware River
↔ The Duke of York decided colony was too big to govern easily
↔ The Duke gave land to friends and they set-up a proprietary colony called
New Jersey
↔ New Jersey had fertile farmland and many resources
↔ Settlers came from Finland, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Sweden
↔ New Jersey became a royal colony
↔ Colony’s charter protected religious freedom and rights of a group to vote on local matters
¿¿ What were the political reasons for the establishment of New York and New Jersey?
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The Founding of PENNSYLVANIA
↔ William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681
↔ Penn came from wealthy English family and personal friend of King Charles II
↔ At 22, Penn joined Quakers, most despised religious groups in England
The Quakers
↔ Quakers believed ALL people were equal in God’s sight
↔ Quakers were being persecuted; Penn convinced that they need to leave England
↔ King Charles II gave land grant to Penn; called new colony ‘Pennsylvania’ or Penn’s woodlands
A Policy of Fairness
↔ Penn wanted colony to be a model of religious freedom; ‘holy experiment’
↔ Penn believed land belonged to Native Americans and spoke out for fair
treatment; settlers should pay for the land
“as Penn treated the Indians with extraordinary humanity,
they became civil and loving to us” random Settler
The Colony Grows
↔ Penn sent pamphlets inviting Europeans to Pennsylvania
↔ German-speaking Protestants were named Pennsylvania Dutch
↔ Their capital city along Delaware River was Philadelphia “brotherly love”
¿¿ Why was the colony of Pennsylvania founded ?
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DELAWARE
↔ Pennsylvania included lands along lower Delaware River-Lower Counties
↔ settlers didn’t want to send delegates to a distant assembly in Philadelphia
↔ Penn let them elect their own assembly – formed colony of Delaware
Life in the Middle Colonies
↔ majority of settlers were farmers
↔ land was rich and fertile due to Hudson and Delaware river valleys
↔ winters were milder than in New England
A Thriving Economy in the Eastern Counties
↔ farmers cleared fields and raised wheat, barley and rye – cash crops
↔ Middle Colonies exported so much grain – known as Breadbasket Colonies
↔ farmers also raised herds of cattle and pig and exported goods
↔ Middle Colonies had skilled artisans – became center of manufacturing/crafts
↔ Delaware river valley had iron ore and made nails, tools and parts for guns
¿¿ Analyze how geography influenced population distribution and economic activities in the Middle Colonies.
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Middle Colony Homes
↔ towns were less important in Middle Colonies – houses far apart
↔ Swedish had log cabins; Dutch built narrow, high-walled houses/red brick
↔ Germans developed wood burning stove
↔ households were self-sufficient – survival items made/grown at home
The Backcountry
↔ German and Scottish settlers lived in the backcountry
↔ farmers had to clear thick forests
↔ wood resource s – dishes, honey, candles from pine tree knots, rifles
↔ backcountry was Indian lands – many violent disputes
- Why did the colony of New Netherland become the colony of New York ?
______
- Why did New Jersey separate from New York ?
______
- How was Pennsylvania founded ?
______
- What was life like in the Middle Colonies ?
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