The Middle Colonies

Chapter 3 Section 3

Middle Colonies

• The Middle colonies included:

• New York (NY) , New Jersey (NJ) , Delaware (DE),

• and Pennsylvania (PA).

Picture Credit:http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/13mapnew.htm

NY

NJ

DE

PA

Let’s Talk About…

The Geography of the Middle Colonies

The Hudson River

• Flows through eastern New York before reaching the sea at New York City.

Long Island

• The easternmost part of new York

• Extends into the Atlantic Ocean for more than 100 miles

• Map of Long Island

Pennsylvania

• The regions second-largest state.

• Southeastern section is a lowland.

• Philadelphia---Pennsylvania’s largest city

• Contains the Delaware River

New Jersey & Delaware

• New Jersey– Lowland along the Atlantic Coast

• Delaware– Regions smallest State– Located on the coast directly south of New

Jersey

Climate

• Good farming land (grains) Livestock, rivers and hills. Harbors.

• Climate warmer than New England.

Picture Credit: www.greenworks.tv/efp/ Lan_Farm_Trust.htm

New York and New Jersey

• New York began as the Dutch colony of New Netherland.

• By 1660, it was an economic success.

• The colony was the base for a profitable fur trade between the Dutch and Native Americans.

• One of New Netherland’s major problems was its small Dutch population.

New Netherland Becomes New York

• In 1664, King Charles II granted the right to all the Dutch lands in North America to his brother James.

• All James had to do was conquer the territory. • Warships were sent, and the Dutch surrendered

immediately.• The colony was renamed New York• New Amsterdam, it’s capital, became New York

City.

New Jersey

• Established in 1665, when part of southern New York was split off to form a new colony

• In the beginning was a proprietary colony (created by a grant given to an individual or family)

• 1702-became a royal colony (controlled directly by the English king)

The Quakers

• One of a number of religious groups in England in the 1640-50’s

• Believed all people had a direct link to God• Did not need ministers• All people equal in God’s eyes• First people in England to speak out against

slavery• Women equal to men• Women able to be leaders in meetings

William Penn

• Quaker leader

• Personally knew King Charles II

• Wanted to find safe place for Quakers to live

• 1681, received an area almost as large as England, mainly in what is not Pennsylvania

Penn’s “Holy Experiment”

• Arrived in his colony in 1682

• Named capital, Philadelphia (means “city of brotherly love)

• Considered his colony to be a “holy experiment”

• Goal: to create a colony in which people from different religious backgrounds could live peacfully

Penn continued

• 1682, Penn wrote his Frame of Government for Pennsylvania.

• Granted the colony an elected assembly

• Provided for freedom of religion

• Did not allow colonists to settle on land until is was sold to them

Delaware: A Separate Colony

• 1st settlers-people from Sweden

• 1650’s, Dutch took control, lost it to the English when they lost New York

• Penn’s charter for Pennsylvania included Delaware

• 1704, Delaware becomes a separate colony

Growth and Change

• By the early 1700’s, more than 20,000 colonists lived in Pennsylvania.

• Top cash crop-wheat

• Manufacturing– Iron, flour, paper

• Workers– Shoemakers, carpenters, masons, weavers,

traders, coopers (made barrels)

The Backcountry

• Backcountry consisted of several colonies from Pennsylvania to Georgia

• Colonists– English, Scotch-Irish, German

• German Immigrants were called the Pennsylvania Dutch

• Mid 1770’s-people traveling south in covered wagons ( The Great Wagon Road)

Diverse and Thriving Colonies

• 1750-Non-English Immigrants made the Middle Colonies the most diverse part of English North America

• Philadelphia and New York had become the largest cities and busiest ports in the colonies.

• All colonies had thriving economies