The Middle Colonies

The middle colonies:

• Included:– New York– Pennsylvania– New Jersey– Delaware

First SettlersSome of the first settlers in the region were the Dutch and Swedish.

New Netherland = Albany, NY areaNew Amsterdam = Manhattan Island, NYNew Sweden = Delaware and New Jersey

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Important Citizens•Peter Minuit - the Dutch Governor who purchased Manhattan from the Indians

•Sir George Calvert- “The Lord of Baltimore”

•William Penn - A Quaker who established a colony in Pennsylvannia. Advocate of religious freedom

•Benjamin Franklin - One of the founding fathers

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Farming

• Farmers in the middle colonies had many advantages:– Rich soil– Mild climate– Long growing season– Deep rivers

Crops for sale• Because of good soil

and climate people could produce crops to sell

• These became known as Cash Crops- crops grown to sell for profit

• They produced so much grain they became known as the bread basket colonies

Port cities

• Many farmers in the middle colonies shipped their goods through Philadelphia and New York

• They shipped them via the Delaware river and the Hudson river

Conestoga Wagon

• Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the Conestoga wagon

• It was:– Larger– More sturdy– Covered– Large wheels

New York farmers

• Owning land was very important to the colonists

• 5 families owned most of the land (their estates could cover up to 2 million acres)

• The owner or Patroon ran their estates like tiny kingdoms

• People who farmed the land had to pay rent

Business, Trade, and Cities

Cities Grow Quickly

• By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York were the two largest cities in the colonies

• They were important trading and manufacturing centers

• Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside– Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone– They were lined with shops and inns– Crowds of people spoke many languages

A different kind of community:

• The middle colonies were settled by people from many countries with different:– Beliefs– Customs– languages

Many Religions:

• The colonies did not have any single religion that was more powerful then the others

• Religions included– Roman Catholic– Jewish– Amish– Mennonite– Calvinists– Quaker– Lutherans

Country Customs and Fun

• People worked together to:– Clear land– Barn raising– Sheep shearing– Quilting

The Frontier

• Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast and the banks of large rivers

• As more people arrived they moved further inland

• Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer limits of the colonies

• For the middle colonies the frontier was the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

People on the frontier

• People who settled here were mainly seeking new adventure and freedom

• They had to partake in extra chores like:– Cutting logs for their house and fires– Make furniture– Make candles– Make clothes– Educate their children

Dangers on the frontier

• Because families on the frontier all faced many dangers and hardships:– They gained a spirit of independence and equality– Women worked alongside men– Different culture groups shared thoughts and

ideas– There were no social class distinctions