Culture and Religion of
the Middle colonies
Samantha Marks, Kate Slowikowski, and Peter Iovine
Way of Life 1620-1740
The middle colonies led very diverse and interesting daily lives
Land and weather in the middle colonies was perfect for farming.
Many people lived on small farms where they could produce crops to sell and
eat. Farmers would use the long, wide
rivers to ship their goods. Philadelphia and
New York were two places that became very busy ports
and trade centers.
Richer families could afford larger brick homes. Others lived in log homes.
Homes were usually made out of wood and mud.
Many families planted wheat, corn, barely, pumpkins, rye, flax, potatoes, and
peas; while others ate break and small game. They also raised animals.
Way of Life
As in the other English colonies, the Middle Colonies had a free
market economy for the most part. Proprietors could not tell the
colonists what to do.
Colonists would just do what made them the most money. This is
called free enterprise.
Many artisans and laborers found jobs in the busy ports and trade
centers.
Way of Life- Clothes
 Middle Colony men wore shirts, breeches, and boots.
 Women wore dresses, aprons, bonnets, petticoats, and
shoes.
 Children under the age of five usually dressed like their
parents, but simpler and with slippers instead of shoes.
 Clothes could be dyed with things such as roots and
Chores
 Girls and women had to cook, clean, make
clothing, soap, butter, candles, take care of
children, and make cloth.
 Boys and men had to build and fix things,
work in the garden, hunt, make tools,
shoemaking, printing, and raise animals.
Education
 In the middle colonies about half of the
adults could sign their names
 Colonial leaders leaders agreed that
education was important but were not
concerned with providing it
 In 1683, Pennsylvania passed a law that
required all children to be taught to read
and write
 Pennsylvania’s first school was then
established the same year
Education
 Children attended one-room school houses where they were
taught religion, prayers, reading, writing, and manners.
 Depending on their social class, they might also study
classical languages, history and literature, mathematics, and
natural science
 Girls could be tutored at home in a variety of household and
social skills.
 When their work was done, women sewed, had corn husk
weaving contests, and quilted.
 Men then had shooting contests, foot races, and horse races.
 Children played marbles, hopscotch, and made and flied kites.
Ethnics
 The Middle Colonies were the most ethnically and
religiously diverse British colonies in North America,
with settlers coming from all parts of Europe.
 In the 1600’s the Middle colonies accepted people of
different religions and cultures. The colonists were
German, Dutch, Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian, English,
and enslaved Africans.
Religion
 In the middle colonies there were people
called proprietors. They allowed people to
practice different religions.
 The religions were Presbyterian, Quaker,
Church of England, Dutch Reformed Baptist,
Dutch Lutheran, Seventh Day Baptist,
German Reformed, and a few other
scattered ones.
 Religion was huge in the Middle Colonies
Important People
by Samantha Marks

There were tons of amazing leaders and important people in the middle colonies

One remarkable leader is Peter Stuyversant. He lead the colony, New
Netherland (New York) beginning in 1647.

His accomplishments as a director general included a great expansion for the
settlement of New Amsterdam beyond the southern tip of Manhattan.

Some of his projects included were the protective wall on Wall Street and the
canal that became Broad Street and Broadway
Important People Cont.
by Samantha Marks

Another important person is William Penn. His colony was Pennsylvania .

He named the capitol of his colony Philadelphia in 1644 and developed it
too.

He was a supporter of democracy and for religious freedom

William had good relationships and had successful treaties with the Lenape
Indians
More Important People Cont.
by Samantha Marks

Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson was a very important person for the Middle colonies

He discovered the Hudson River in 1609 was a great place for trading.

Without him, New York wouldn’t be a main trading place even now in 2015.


Philip Carteret
Was the first governor of New Jersey

Peter Minuit

Purchased the Manhattan Island from Indians

Helped found the first Swedish colony in America, New Sweden, on the
lower Delaware River.
Major Cities/Population
by Samantha Marks

These are the major towns in the Middle Colonies:

New York- by 1646 the population along the Hudson River consisted of Dutch, French, Danes,
Norwegians, Swedes, English scots, Irish, Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Portuguese and Italians




New York City

Albany
Delaware- In the early 1600s Delaware population was about 20,000 , but in the later years (16551670) dropped to about 4,000 to 1,700 people

Wilmington

Georgetown
New Jersey- by 1775, the population was over 120,000

Trenton

Princeton
Pennsylvania- by 1685 the population was 9,000 people

Philadelphia

Lancaster

York
Toleration – Petuh Iovine

There was little availability of the land, which led to thinly settled communities.

In more urban areas, there was social diversity, which led to religious differences
or reduced their importance.

Faith could dominate the people of the middle colony, combining their
differences.

The wisdom did not come easily, and there was lots of bickering and fighting.

They just wanted a colonist to buy their land.

Works Cited - "Religious Pluralism in the Middle Colonies, Divining America,
TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center." Religious Pluralism in the Middle
Colonies, Divining America, TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015
Major Events- Peter Iovine
 1623- New Netherlands, which became New York, was settled by
Peter Minuit and Peter Stuyvesant.
 1630- There was a flock of English people headed to the Americas.
 1638- Delaware was settled. The duke of New York combined New
Netherland and New Sweden, and called the area Delaware.
 1664- New Jersey was born. The duke of New York gave some land
to Sir George Carteret and Lord John Berkeley who called their
colony New Jersey.
Major Events- Peter Iovine
 1682- Over time, the Quakers settle in Pennsylvania. The
Quakers were persecuted in England, and hoped to have a
colony in America with religious freedom.
 1686- King James II combined the colonies of Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, New
York, New Hampshire, East Jersey and West Jersey to create a
single colony named: The Domination of New England
 1702- The two parts of New Jersey, East Jersey and West
Jersey, were united into a royal colony, New Jersey.
 "Middle Colonies." ***. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2015
Samantha’s Works Cited

"Leaders/important People - Middle Colonies 8th Hour." Leaders/important People - Middle Colonies
8th Hour. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2015.

"Middle Colonies." ***. N.p., Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Jan. 2015.

"Delaware." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2015.

"New Jersey." Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States. 2007, "New Jersey." Dictionary of
American History. 2003, "New Jersey." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2014, "New Jersey."
Cities of the United States. 2006, "New Jersey." World Encyclopedia. 2005, and "New Jersey."
Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. "New Jersey." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2007.
Web. 16 Jan. 2015.
Kate’s Works Cited

"Daily Life in the Middle Colonies." Englishcolonizationofna07 [licensed for Noncommercial Use Only] /. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2015.

"Education World ® Lesson Planning Skills Page: Education In The Colonies."
Education World ® Lesson Planning Skills Page: Education In The Colonies. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 Jan. 2015.

"Life In the Middle Colonies." Life In the Middle Colonies. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan.
2015.

"Middle Colonies." ***. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2015.

"Religious Pluralism in the Middle Colonies, Divining America, TeacherServe®,
National Humanities Center." Religious Pluralism in the Middle Colonies, Divining
America, TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015.

2, Chapter 6 Lesson. Summary: Life in the Middle Colonies (n.d.): n. pag. Web.