Middle Colonies

1. Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware Middle Colonies By: Michael Geraci, Ryan Osedchy, Peter Buidier

2. Settled in 1624 for expansion as well as trade by the Duke of York. • New York was a place of economic activities such as farming wheat, milling lumber, refining sugar, distilling, shipbuilding, and was also a large place of trade. • The main reason for the colony was to have a big place of trade for people going from the middle colonies to the northern colonies, and vice versa. • Slavery was a big part in New York’s society because they had a lot of labor to be done.Slave trade became a corner stone of New York economy. • Originally named New Netherland, the colony had its name changed to “New York” after the Duke of York. • Since New York was a trading colony, not many families lived here because of the mass use of trade. Usually land owners (usually the fathers) used slaves as their laborers, and the rest of the family would stay at home. Children that were boys usually helped with local labor, instead of out in the farm. New York

3. Religion was not as stressed in these parts as other colonies. New York

4. New York Map

5. Settled in 1638 for trade purposes by Johan Printz, Johan Rising, and William Penn. • Henry Hudson (a Dutch man) was one founding father, discovering Delaware years earlier, in 1609. • William Penn is the most notable founder of this colony, because this was not the first colony he had established. William had also claimed the colony of Pennsylvania and led it as well. • Delaware was a place of trading and farming, just like many of the thirteen colonies. They fished since they were mostly surrounded by water and also farmed tobacco. • Originally, the Dutch tried to colonize Delaware before the English. A captain, Samuel Argall, gave the colony its name. Argall named it after his colonies governor, Thomas West, Baron De La Warr. This attempt at colonization eventually failed, which led the colony to its next visitors, the Swedish. • In early 1638, Swedish explorers tried to colonize a “New Sweden” where Delaware is presently located. This was quickly stopped by a Dutch Governor, Peter Stuyvesant. The English soon followed, taking over the Dutch land and claiming it officially as “Delaware”. Delaware

6. Delaware started of as a slave state, but its numbers began to decrease as time moved on. • The families in Delaware had much of the same behaviors as all people in these times. Average families would usually all work for their father/husband. Children (usually just boys) would work with their fathers and daughters and mothers would stay home to look after the house. • Religion around this area was mixed, including Quakers, Catholics, Lutherans, Jews, and more. Delaware

7. Many small rivers flowed across Delaware such as the Nanticoke which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. • Flowing through the east side of the colony is the Delaware River and also located there is the Delaware Bay • The land in Delaware is mainly low elevation, with not many mountains. Delaware Map & Features

8. Settled in 1630 for expansion, a Quaker refuge, and a trade post. It was founded by John Berkley and John Carteret. • New Jersey’s economic activities included farming grain, livestock, producing rum, and also fishing. But mainly to survive, farming and trade were the biggest aspects of the economy. This was because there was said to be good farmland, due to the fertile soil as well as the flat landscape. • Religious tolerance was strong in New Jersey, and every religion was welcome to live in this colony. The majority or people were Presleyterian or Quaker. • There was a high slave population percentage, and by 1800, there was over 12,400 slaves. • Family life was average around these parts, the father usually owned farmland and his children would work at home. Usually, the women and girls would stay home to tend to the housework. New Jersey

9. New Jersey is much like Delaware, it has water on its East side, and is mainly flat. • New Jersey is more mountainous in its northern area compared to its southern. • The Delaware River and Water Gap are located here. New Jersey Map

10. Settled in 1644 for Swedish expansion, religious tolerance, and to be a Quaker colony. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn (who also helped found Delaware). • Pennsylvania has the same activities as New Jersey, excluding fishing. They farmed grain, livestock, and produced rum as well. • Quakers were the majority of the religion in Pennsylvania, but the colony was made so religious freedom was possible. Many types of religions were existent in PA at this time. • William Penn was the most notable founder of Pennsylvania. He had helped found other colonies, such as Delaware, and was an important person in the development of PA. • Pennsylvania was a large area of slaves, seeing as most slave owners were Quakers. William Penn, the founder, owned slaves himself. In 1780, however, a law of slavery abolition was created. This freed most of the slaves in this colony. • Economic activities going on were the farming of wheat, corn, and flax by indentured servants. They also manufactured art, crafts, sawmills, and ships. Pennsylvania

11. Pennsylvania is an area of many physical features. It contains the Great Appalachian Valley and Plateau. • It also has many water bodiessuch as the Allegheny river and the Susquehanna. Pennsylvania Map