THE MIDDLE COLONIES

Unit 1.4

Unit 1.4

The Middle Colonies

Theme:The middle colonies developed

far greater political, ethnic, religious, and social diversity and represented a more cosmopolitan middle ground between the tightly knit New England towns and the scattered, hierarchical plantation South.

I. Characteristics of Middle Colonies: NY, NJ, DE, PA

A. Fertile soil and broad expanses of land; much grain production

B. Fur trade in the interior

C. Shipbuilding and lumbering

D. Shipping and commerce

E. Less aristocratic than N.E. & southern colonies

(except NY)

F. Fewer industries than N.E., more than the south

G. Most ethnically mixed region in N.A.

1. Religiously tolerant (especially PA)

2. Democratically controlled

3. Much factional conflict

II. New York

A. New Netherlands

1. Henry Hudson, employed by Dutch East India Co., sailed into Delaware Bay and NY Bay 1609

2. New Netherlands founded in 1623-24 by

Peter Minuit

a. Dutch West India Co.

b. Manhattan

New Amsterdam,

1660

3. New Amsterdam (modern-day NYC)

a. Run by D.W.I.C. in the interest of stockholders

b. Had little freedom of religion, speech, and democracy

c. Patroonships: workers were bound to land indefinitely (similar to serfdom in eastern Europe)

d. Cosmopolitan town (18 different languages)

B. Challenges to New Netherlands

1. Conflict with Amerindians -- Wall built for

protection (today’s Wall Street)

2. New England was hostile to Dutch expansion

New New Netherlands & Netherlands & New SwedenNew Sweden

New New Netherlands & Netherlands & New SwedenNew Sweden

3. New Sweden (1638-1655)

a. Trespassed on New Netherlands

b. The Dutch later took it

4. King Charles II takes New Netherlands

a. Peter Stuyvesant surrenders in 1664 to English forces

b. Colony becomes “New York”

c. England now has a continuous coast from Maine to South Carolina

C. New York Chapter of Liberties (1683)

1. Provided a degree of religious toleration and voting for landowners

2. Limitations

a. Much land concentrated among a few large landowners

b. Society remained feudalistic

New York Manors and Land Grants

D. New York became a royal colony in 1685

E. Economy benefitted from trade with Iroquois and influx of some farm workers

F. New York remained autocratic in character

1. Discouraged immigration

2. Leisler’s Rebellion (1691)

a. Leisler governed New York between 1689-91 and

introduced some democratic practices and redistribution of land to poor laborers

b. 1691, English gov’t sought to remove him

c. Leisler, backed by poor laborers and artisans, put up armed resistance

d. Rebellion failed; Leisler executed

e. Significance:

II. Pennsylvania (founded in 1681)

A. Quakers

1. Noncomformists

2. Simple and democratic; sought religious and civic freedom

3. “Inner light”

4. Targets of persecution in England, Europe, and New England

B. William Penn

1. Gained huge land grant from the king.

-- PA became a proprietary

colony

2. Primary motive: create a religious haven for

Quakers

King Charles signing the Charter of Pennsylvania, 1681

3. Also sought a “Holy Experiment” of religious toleration

4. Best advertised of all colonies

-- Liberal land policies attracted many

immigrants from England, Germany, Netherlands, and France

C. Pennsylvania becomes a success

1. All Swedes, Finns, and Dutch were naturalized and had full rights

2. Philadelphia was carefully planned and became on of the largest cities in North America

Grid of Philadelphia

3. Representative government

a. No tax-supported church

b. Freedom of religion

c. No provisions for military defense (Quakers were pacifists)

d. Strongly anti-slavery

4. Penn established good relations with Indians

5. Relations deteriorated in the 18th century

-- Walking Purchase, 1737

6. By 1700, PA was the 4th largest colony

a. Quakers were excellent at business and trade

b. Large German population

D. New Jersey (started as a Quaker colony), 1702

E. Delaware, 1703: large Quaker population

Three Types of Coloniesby 1775

Royal Proprietary Charter

• Virginia• Massachusetts• New York• Maryland• South Carolina• North Carolina• New Hampshire• New Jersey• Delaware• Georgia

• Pennsylvania• New Hampshire (until

1641)• Maryland (until 1692)• South Carolina (until

1729)• New Jersey (until

1702)• Delaware (until 1703)• Georgia (until 1752)

• Connecticut• Rhode Island• Virginia (until 1624)• Massachusetts

(until 1691)• North Carolina

(until 1729)