Motivation Strategic position.

Right on the coast for easy access.

Control over raw materials/potential markets. More fertile soil than in the Netherlands. Large fishing trade. Substantial fur trade. Native livestock. Tobacco as a cash crop.

Land for settlement. Control over more land.

Profit for private business owners/forced labor.

Colonial Rule/Political Structures

Primarily a Dutch colony/settlement.

Originally a proprietary colony. Proprietary colony (noun.): Any of certain early North American

colonies organized in the 17th century in territories granted by the English Crown to one or more proprietors who had full governing rights.

Ruled as a constitutional monarchy.

Shared the same governor with Pennsylvania. 1681: William Penn rules Pennsylvania before receiving Delaware

to govern. Early 1700s: Penn separates the colonies into two different

assemblies.

1631: Dutch colonization led by Captain David Pietersen de

Vries.

1632: Entire Dutch crew killed in a battle with Native Americans.

1638: Swede Peter Minuet settles with a grant from the New

Sweden Company.

1655: Dutch regain control from Swedes.

1664: English defeat Dutch to gain control.

1673: Dutch retake control of Delaware.

1674: English triumph over the Dutch.

1682: William Penn controls Delaware alongside Pennsylvania.

1701: Delaware is granted independence.

1704: Delaware elects own assembly.

Delaware has had more claimants than any of the other

thirteen colonies.

Though the Dutch found the land before the Swedes, the

Swedes created the first permanent settlement in Delaware. Reached the new land, entitled New Sweden, in 1638.

Fort is built on the current-day city of Wilmington (then named

Christina after the queen).

Lands are bought from Native Americans on the west side.

Town is built on the current-day city of Philadelphia.

Dutch claimed all of the Delaware Valley as their own, but Sweden

proved to be too powerful over the Netherlands.

The English then came into possession of the colony in 1664. Lord Baltimore (stated that Delaware would be part of Maryland).

Duke of York (then sold the colony to William Penn).

William Penn (governor of both Delaware and Pennsylvania).

Inhabitants of Delaware (after the Revolution).

Economic Activities Delaware relied on its powerful slave society to

trade African slaves with colonies to both the North and South.

Tobacco was cultivated as an important cash crop.

The colony also relied on its trades for: Grain/wheat. Fishing. Fur. Flax. Lumber/timber. Iron. Ship-building.

Labor Challenges

The Swedish attempted to bring slaves from West Africa over to Delaware, but the nation was forced aside by more powerful European nations.

African slavery did not escalate until the Dutch controlled the colony, when Africans were shipped over the Atlantic to work.

This increased greater when the English took control of the colony.

From between 20 to 25 percent of Delaware’s population were enslaved, higher than any other Northern colony.

Religious/Social Issues

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Established in 1701 and based in London.

Sought the evangelization of both the indigenous and African people.

Indigenous people were not easily persuaded to convert to the religion.

African slaves were unwilling to adapt to the religion of their oppressors.

Confronted for supporting spiritual freedom and slavery.