Discovery & Settlement

of the Americas:The Middle Colonies

Submitted by:Mitchell Clarke, Ian Cameron,

Ben Rabinovitch, and Justin Skinner

IntroductionEngland’s neglect of the American colonies between 1640 and 1660 enabled traditions of self-government to develop firmly in America. Colonial legislatures in New England and the South made their own laws, and local courts enforced them. Colonists frequently defied or ignored orders form England and even their own colonial governors. The Middle Colonies also developed a degree of independence from England.

Province of New YorkThe year was 1664. King Charles the second had awarded his brother James II, the Duke of York, the land west and south of New England. The area from the Connecticut River to the Delaware River was now the Duke of York’s, although at this point, it was still under the control and ownership of the Dutch. For quite a while the Dutch colonies had been considered a threat to the British. Finally, the Dutch were going to learn what would occur when they came face to face with the British.In that same year, the Duke of York sent a fleet of four warships of English origin, to claim the settlement of New Amsterdam. The Dutch governor of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant, tried to defend the settlement from the British fleet, however the lack of support from the colonists forced the governor to surrender New Netherland to the British. The Duke of York rapidly changed the name of the area to New York.

Province of New YorkGovernors that were appointed by the Duke of York ruled the land until 1683, after James II agreed to demands made by the people of New York for an elective assembly. This agreement did not last as in 1685 the Duke of York became King James II, making New York a royal British colony, and James II did not hesitate to dissolve the assembly and return power to the governors.In 1688, during the Glorious Revolution, the English overthrew James II, and a German trader in New York, Jacob Leisler led a rebellion in the colony. He established a new elective assembly which had power for two years, until a new British governor arrived and removed the assembly, having Leisler hung for his crimes.One major contributing factor to the slow growth of New York’s economy was the existence of patroons. A few settlers with a great deal of land started to charge taxes, rent and labour of the farmers who lived on this land.

Province of New YorkNew York had a very diverse population, including Dutch, Swedes, Native Americans, Africans, Jews, some English and French had all settled in the colony.

Province of New JerseyCreated after the Duke of York had received land in 1664New Jersey was given to John Lord Berkeley and Sir George CarteretThey offered religious freedom and large land grants

Province of New JerseyIn 1674 Berkeley had sold his rights to western New Jersey to members of a religious group call the Society of Friends also known as Quakers . This group was seeking escape from persecution.

In 1682 Carteret’s heirs sold eastern New Jersey to a different Quaker group.

In 1702 the English government created the royal colony of New Jersey by combining the two halves and putting it under control of New York's governor.

Province of Pennsylvania

Province of PennsylvaniaBackground

William Penn started the most successful colony in America. Penn (who was the son of a British admiral) won the favour of both King Charles II and King James II. However to his father’s dismay, Penn had joined the Quakers when he was a student at Oxford. Quakers were considered British radicals in England because they believed that paid clergy were unnecessary and that every person could know God’s will through his or her own “inner light”. As a result, they were detested in England and persecuted as Anarchists in America.

Province of PennsylvaniaThe Province of Pennsylvania

Both Penn’s father and prison had attempted to change his views, however they failed and King Charles II remained his friend. Penn wanted to start a colony in America that would serve as a refuge for persecuted Quakers. After his father’s death, Penn collected a debt that was owed to his father by King Charles II. He decided to take advantage of his dream and asked the king for land in America. Therefore, in 1681 Charles II made Penn the proprietor of a vast area west of Delaware named “Penn’s Woods” or Pennsylvania. Thus the Province of Pennsylvania was born.

Penn arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 and worked out a plan for founding a “city of brotherly love” which would become Philadelphia. His agents advertised for settlers in Europe promising religious freedom and tolerance. This attracted Quakers and many other groups (especially Germans).

Province of PennsylvaniaBecause Penn believed in equality, he drew up a “frame of government” that provided an elected council and assembly. Pennsylvania gave the right to vote to a large number of colonists. Penn also insisted that Native Americans be paid for their land.

The colony rapidly grew shortly after these developments. By the time Penn left for England in 1684, there were 7 000 colonists. When he returned in 1699, Philadelphia rivaled Boston and New York City as both a commercial and industrial centre with thousands of prosperous farms along the countryside.

A boundary dispute with Maryland to the south led to the hiring of two surveyors, Mason and Dixon, to draw boarders between the two colonies. This line became known as the Mason-Dixon line.

Province of PennsylvaniaAnalysis & Future

William Penn pioneered many things that became American ideals even to this date. He defended equality (even within Native Americans) and believed in a place with human rights that was free from religious persecution. This was adopted into the constitution when the United States of America was formed.

Penn also pioneered the ideal that colonists could have the right to vote and have a say in what went on around them by establishing his “frame of government”. This was new because the British suppressed these ideals in order to impose and maintain imperialist rule and taxation without representation.

All of these things contributed to the rapid growth of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania and led to these lands playing a significant part in the American revolution.

Delaware ColonyFacts about the History of Delaware History - 1600's:

1663 - 1664 - Anglo-Dutch Wars in disputes over rights to slaves, ivory, and gold and domination of the area 1664 - Sir Robert Carr drives the Dutch off the Delaware and Delaware becomes an English colony 1681 - William Penn was granted land from England, that included Delaware, and established the colony of Pennsylvania

Delaware ColonyFacts about the History of Delaware History - 1700's:

1756 - 1763 - The Seven Years War (French and Indian War) due to disputes over land is won by Great Britain. France gives England all French territory east of the Mississippi River, except New Orleans. The Spanish give up east and west Florida to the English in return for Cuba.1763 - 1767 Legal battles were settled by a survey, which resulted in the Mason-Dixon line, surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon.

Key Terms

Patroons: Landowners in the Dutch settlement s who gained rent, taxes, and labour from the tenant farmers.

Taxation Without Representation: The method the British used to overtax the settlers in British North America which became one of the leading causes of the American Revolution.

TriviaNew York

What is a patroon?

When did the English overthrow King James II?

Why did the Duke of York dissolve the elective assembly that implemented and returned power to the governors? What is a patroon?

New JerseyWho did the Duke of York give the land of New Jersey to and when?

How did the Quakers become an intricate part of New Jersey?

Under whose authority was the control of New Jersey placed in 1702?

TriviaPennsylvania

What does Pennsylvania mean?

How was Pennsylvania founded?

How did William Penn’s ideals contribute to American History? What did he pioneer?

DelawareWhen did William Penn buy the 4 counties of South Pennsylvania which would become Delaware?

Who had first settled this area?

What form of government did William Penn allow these 4 counties to use?