Middle Colonies facts for kids
The Middle Colonies were a group of colonies in British America, located between the New England Colonies and the Southern Colonies. This area is now roughly what we call the Mid-Atlantic states in the United States.
Much of this land was once part of a Dutch colony called New Netherland. The British took control of most of this area from the Dutch around 1664 during a war. Most of the land they won became the Province of New York. The Duke of York and the King of England later gave parts of this land to others, which became the Province of New Jersey and the Province of Pennsylvania. The Delaware Colony later separated from Pennsylvania, which was founded by William Penn.
The Middle Colonies had very fertile soil, which helped the area become a major producer of wheat and other grains. Because of this, they were often called the "Bread Basket Colonies." The lumber and shipbuilding industries also did well here because there were many forests. Pennsylvania also had some success with making textiles (cloth) and iron. These colonies were the most diverse in British North America, with settlers from England, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and different German states. Farmland was productive and much cheaper than in Europe. Later, many different Protestant groups settled here. They were protected by written laws that allowed freedom of religion. This tolerance was very special and different from other British colonies.
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History of the Middle Colonies
The Middle Colonies were first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609 for the Dutch East India Company. He sailed up the Hudson River to what is now Albany, New York, and also explored the Delaware Bay. The Dutch explored and mapped the area more between 1610 and 1616. The first Dutch settlements were built in 1613, and the name New Netherland appeared on maps from 1614.
With money from Sweden, the third governor of New Netherland, Peter Minuit, later started a colony called New Sweden in the Delaware Bay area in 1638. But the Dutch took this area back in 1655. In October 1664, before the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the English largely conquered this land from the Dutch. Even though the war ended with a Dutch victory in 1667, the English kept New Netherland. They renamed it New York after the English King's brother, the Duke of York. In 1673, the Dutch took the area back for a short time. However, they gave it up again under the Treaty of Westminster (1674) the next year, which ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War.
New Jersey Colony
King Charles II renamed the land west of the Hudson River "New Jersey." He gave the whole region between New England and Maryland to his brother, the Duke of York (who later became King James II of England). James II then gave the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River to two friends who had been loyal to him: Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton. This land became the Province of New Jersey.
In 1665, a document called the Concession and Agreement was written to attract settlers to New Jersey. This document promised religious freedom, no taxes without the assembly's approval, and a governor chosen by the landowners. The first governor chosen this way was Philip Carteret, who founded Elizabethtown. Colonists had to pay yearly taxes called quit-rents.
On March 18, 1674, Lord Berkeley sold his share of the colony to Edward Byllynge, a Quaker businessman. This split New Jersey into East Jersey and West Jersey. However, the exact border between the two was not agreed upon until 1676. From 1701 to 1765, colonists argued and even fought in the New York-New Jersey Line War over disputed borders.
On April 15, 1702, Queen Anne united West and East Jersey into one Royal Colony called the Province of New Jersey. Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon became the first royal governor. After Hyde was called back to England in 1708 due to accusations of misusing his power, the governor of New York was also put in charge of New Jersey. Finally, in 1738, King George II appointed a separate governor, Lewis Morris, just for New Jersey.
The Provincial Congress of New Jersey, made up of elected representatives, formed in January 1776 to govern the colony. This Congress had the Royal Governor, William Franklin, arrested on June 15, calling him "an enemy to the liberties of this country." On July 2, 1776, New Jersey created its own New Jersey State Constitution. Soon after, on June 21, they allowed their representatives to the Continental Congress to join in a declaration of independence. The United States Declaration of Independence ended New Jersey's status as a colony.
Pennsylvania Colony
King Charles II gave the land for the Pennsylvania Colony to William Penn on March 4, 1681. This was to pay a debt the king owed Penn's family. Before going to the colony, Penn wrote the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania. This document called for religious tolerance for many groups, including the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and local Native Americans. Pennsylvania was a proprietary colony, meaning Penn governed it. However, its citizens were still under the English king and laws. Penn's cousin, William Markham, served as the first deputy governor.
Pennsylvania was bordered by the Delaware River and the colonies of New York, Maryland, and New Jersey. In 1704, Dutch land that the Duke of York had given to Penn was separated and became part of the Delaware Colony again. From 1692 to 1694, a revolution in England meant Penn lost control of his colony for a short time. The Pennsylvania Assembly used this chance to ask for more power for elected officials, led by David Lloyd. When Penn visited the colony in 1669 and 1701, he eventually agreed to add their Charter of Privileges to the constitution.
When the British stopped westward expansion in 1764, fighting increased among colonists and against Native Americans. In 1773, Arthur St. Clair ordered the arrest of a Virginian officer who was leading troops against settlers loyal to Pennsylvania. The desire for revolution in Pennsylvania continued to grow. Philadelphia, the largest city in America, soon became the meeting place for the Continental Congress. The publication of the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 by local revolutionaries ended the history of the Colony and began the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
New York Colony
The first Dutch settlements in the New York area appeared around 1613. The English captured the New Netherland Colony from the Dutch in 1664. They renamed it the Province of New York after the King's brother, the Duke of York (who later became King James II of England). The Dutch took the colony back in July 1673 during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. But they gave it back to the English under the Treaty of Westminster in exchange for Suriname. The Duke of York never governed the colony himself. Instead, he appointed governors, councils, and other officials to run the government. Richard Nicolls was the first governor of New York.
In 1665, the Province of New Jersey separated from New York. However, the New York-New Jersey Line War continued until the final borders were decided in 1769 and approved by the governments and the King in 1772 and 1773. A Colonial Assembly met in October 1683, making New York the last colony to have an assembly. A constitution was written and passed on October 30, 1683. It gave the colonists many rights, including the right to no taxation without representation. However, when James II learned about the constitution, he said it was not valid.
When the Duke of York became King James II of England, New York became a royal province. In May 1688, the province briefly became part of the Dominion of New England. When James II was overthrown, the citizens of New York rebelled against the Royal Governor in Leisler's Rebellion. When Henry Sloughter became governor in March 1691, the rebellion was stopped. Its leader, Jacob Leisler, was arrested, tried, and executed for treason. New York's charter and constitution were put back in place soon after. In April 1775, American patriots formed the New York Provincial Congress to replace the assembly. Governor William Tryon and all royal officials were forced to leave the colony on October 19, 1775. New York's colonial status ended with the United States Declaration of Independence in July 1776.
Delaware Colony
Delaware was controlled by both the Dutch and Swedes between 1631 and 1655. The Dutch kept control of Delaware until 1664, when Sir Robert Carr took New Amstel for the Duke of York, renaming it New Castle. A representative of the Duke governed Delaware from 1664 to 1682. When William Penn received his land grant for Pennsylvania in 1681, he also received the Delaware area from the Duke of York. Penn called them "The Three Lower Counties on the Delaware River." In 1701, after having trouble governing the diverse Delaware territory, Penn agreed to let them have a separate colonial assembly.
Geography and Resources
The Middle Colonies had fertile soil, which was very different from the rocky soil in the nearby New England Colonies. Because of the large amounts of grain they produced, these colonies became known as the "Bread Basket Colonies." Pennsylvania became a leading producer of wheat, corn, rye, hemp, and flax. This made it the top food producer in the colonies (and later states) between 1725 and 1840. Wide, calm rivers like the Susquehanna River, the Delaware River, and the Hudson River were great for business. Fur trappers used these rivers, and the water flow was strong enough to power mills with water wheels.
Industries and Economy
Many forests in the Middle Colonies led to successful lumber and shipbuilding industries. These industries, along with deep river mouths, helped important ports like New York and Philadelphia grow. While the Middle Colonies had more industry than the Southern Colonies, it was still not as much as in New England.
In Pennsylvania, there were many sawmills and gristmills (for grinding grain), and the textile industry (making cloth) grew quickly. The colony also became a major producer of pig iron and iron products, including the Pennsylvania long rifle and the Conestoga wagon. Other important industries included printing, publishing, and papermaking.
Politics and Government
The political groups in the Middle Colonies started as small groups with specific goals. These groups eventually grew into larger and more diverse political organizations, especially during the French and Indian War.
The Middle Colonies were generally run by Royal or Proprietary Governors and elected Colonial Assemblies. Many constitutions in the Middle Colonies guaranteed freedom of religion and said that people could not be taxed without their elected representatives agreeing. Royal governors were sometimes arrested or removed from power, most notably when New Jersey arrested its governor and during Leisler's Rebellion in New York.
Growing unrest in the Middle Colonies eventually led the region to become the meeting place for the Continental Congress, and a center for the American Revolution. However, there were also many people who remained neutral or were loyal to the British King.
People and Diversity
The Middle Colonies combined aspects of both the New England and Southern Colonies. Landholdings were usually farms of about 40 to 160 acres, owned by the family who worked the land. However, in New York's Hudson Valley, Dutch landowners called patroons had very large estates and rented land to farmers.
The Middle Colonies were more diverse than other British colonies in North America and were generally more accepting of different people. For example, in New York, any foreigner who said they were Christian could become a citizen, which led to a very mixed population. Because of this, early German settlements in America were mostly in the Middle Colonies. Indentured servitude (where people worked for a period of time to pay for their journey to America) was common in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York in the 1700s, though fewer worked in farming.
German immigrants especially liked the Middle Colonies. German immigration greatly increased around 1717, with many coming from the Rhineland. They were mistakenly called the Pennsylvania Dutch (the German word for German is "Deutsch"). By the time of the American Revolution, they made up one-third of the population. Their skills in industry and farming helped the Middle Colonies become very successful. They were known for their close-knit religious communities, mostly Lutheran, but also including smaller groups like the Moravians, Mennonites, and Amish.
The Scotch-Irish began moving to the Middle Colonies in waves after 1717. They mostly moved further into the western frontier of the colonies, where they often had conflicts with Native Americans. Other groups included the French Huguenots, Welsh, Dutch, Swedes, Swiss, and Scots Highlanders.
English Settlers
When the English took direct control of the Middle Colonies around 1664, many Quakers from Rhode Island had already been pushed into the region by Puritans. At the same time, Episcopalian (Church of England) businesspeople settled in Philadelphia and New York City.
Welsh Quakers, Baptists, and Methodists settled in the Welsh Tract of Pennsylvania. While some Welsh colonists, like Roger Williams, left to found Rhode Island, Anne Hutchinson started a new settlement in New York. Rhode Island was not first considered part of New England, but it later joined the Dominion of New England. This meant the definition of the Middle Colonies sometimes changed and overlapped with Rhode Island's borders. After joining the Dominion of New England, however, Rhode Island was always seen as a New England colony. New York's early control of parts of Maine created a close relationship with other New England colonies like Vermont and a continuing New England influence in the colony.
Both William Penn and the Lords Baltimore encouraged Irish Protestant immigration. They hoped these immigrants would become indentured servants to work on their estates and help develop the colonies. Often, areas of the Middle Colonies showed strong Irish cultural influence.
Labor in the Colonies
There was always a shortage of workers. The most common solution was indentured servitude for young white people. These were teenagers from Britain or Germany whose parents arranged for them to work for families in the colonies until they were 21, in exchange for their trip across the ocean. Most of them became farmers or farm wives. By the mid-1700s, African American enslaved people made up 12% of New York's population. Most were house servants in Manhattan or farm workers on Dutch estates.
Religious Freedom
The Middle Colonies were the most religiously diverse part of the British Empire, with a high level of tolerance. The Penn family were Quakers, and Pennsylvania became a popular place for them. It also attracted German Lutherans, German Reformed, and many small groups like Mennonites, Amish, and Moravians, as well as Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. The Dutch Reformed church was strong in upstate New York and New Jersey, and Congregationalists were important in Long Island. The First Great Awakening made people more religious and helped churches like Congregational, Methodist, and Baptist grow. Non-British colonists included Dutch Calvinists, Swedish Lutherans, Palatine Mennonites, and the Amish. There was also a Jewish community already in New York from 1654 (when it was still New Amsterdam), and Jews settled in what became Pennsylvania from 1655.
See also
- Mid-Atlantic
- New England Colonies
- Southern Colonies
- Chesapeake Colonies
- Colonial United States
