THE MIDDLE COLONIES:
PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE
Commerce, Diversity, and Toleration
Where are the Middle Colonies?
Economic Opportunity, Social Mobility
The ability to work
in a variety of
fields –
particularly in the
merchant class or
among skilled
laborers – allowed
for economic
prosperity and
social mobility in
the Middle
Colonies. Unlike
the South, people
born into poverty
were often able to
acquire skills and
move up socially.
Small Farmers, Exporting Wheat
In the middle colonies, the principle crop grown was wheat. Small farmers grew
huge crops for export. The wheat was used to feed the Caribbean islands, where
so much of the land under cultivation was devoted to sugar cane that there was not
enough acreage to grow food crops.
Shipbuilding, Trade, and Centers of Commerce
Shipbuilding and the shipping trade were opportunities to make large profits in
major cities like Philadelphia, Wilmington, or New York City. The constant export
of wheat to the Caribbean – and the promise of return trips with cane sugar,
molasses, and rum – insured that shipping companies would be profitable.
Middle Class of Artisans and Skilled Workers
Blacksmiths, silversmiths, coopers, cobblers, and cart wrights – all skilled positions
which could command high wages. The ability to demand higher wages was
essential to the establishment of the middle class in the colonies.
English, Dutch, Swedish, German, Scots-Irish, …
The Middle Colonies were a multi-national region. The Dutch had originally
claimed New York. German and Scots-Irish immigrants dominated Pennsylvania.
Delaware was once known as New Sweden, and Swedish immigration was common
in PA, DE, and NJ. Each of these groups brought a distinctive religion, as well.
Religious Diversity
In addition to the Church of England, Catholics, German Pietists, Quakers, and
even non-Christian faiths emerged in the Middle Colonies. In this region, the
extreme diversity of the population required that religious toleration prevail.
Greater Social Mobility
There was practically no social mobility in the Southern Colonies. But in the Middle
Colonies, it was possible to rise from extreme poverty to enjoy a prosperous
lifestyle. The ability to rise from poor circumstances to prosperity is social mobility.
William Penn’s “Holy Experiment”
A Quaker, William Penn sought to create a society which was founded on
principles of equality for all men, religious freedom, and pacifism. After signing a
treaty with the local Indians, Penn encouraged immigration from abroad, but
remained devoted to the principles of religious toleration, equality, and pacifism.
Land Ownership and Voting Rights
Land ownership in Pennsylvania and most of the other Middle Colonies was
relatively easy to achieve. In order to vote, men had to be Christian and own at
least 50 acres of land in PA. Since many artisans and skilled laborers made their
living without owning large tracts of land, they were prevented from voting.
Religious Freedom
In all of the Middle Colonies, the idea of religious toleration was celebrated. Not
only was each denomination allowed to practice it’s own faith; but also, tolerance
of other’s faiths was established as a social norm.