Middle Colonies
“William Penn makes a treaty in 1683” by Benjamin West
Sandwiched between the New England and southern colonies were the
middle colonies. Because of their geographic location, the degree of
religious tolerance, and the fact that other nationalities (i.e., the Swedes and
Dutch) had successfully colonized parts of the region prior to England, the
middle colonies were the most culturally diverse.
Middle Colonial Economy
The middle colonies depended on both farming and commerce. Farmers
raised staple crops like wheat, barley, and rye. Unlike the southern colonies,
however, the middle colonies also boasted large cities like New York and
Philadelphia. These urban centers were home to diverse groups of people
and a variety of businesses. In addition, they were important ports for
shipping products overseas. Because of the nature of the economy, slaves
in the middle colonies were not as numerous as in the South and they often
worked in shops and cities, as well as on farms. Because of waterways that
granted colonists access to the heavily wooded interior, the middle colonies
also benefited from a thriving fur trade and forged an economic relationship
with Native Americans like the Iroquois.
Society in the Middle Colonies
As mentioned before, the middle colonies featured a more diverse
population than either of the other two colonial regions. Under the
leadership of William Penn, Pennsylvania became a homeland for Quakers.
This religious group did not recognize class differences, promoted equality
of the sexes, practiced pacifism (non-violence), and sought to deal fairly
with Native Americans. They also made Pennsylvania a place of religious
tolerance, thereby attracting not only the English Quakers, but German
Lutherans, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, and Swiss Mennonites as well.
Because New York was originally a Dutch colony, its residents spoke
languages other than just English and exhibited a great deal of cultural
diversity and religious differences. Jews, as well as Christians, made New
York their home, making the city site of the colonies' first synagogue (place
of Jewish worship). Because of the diversity and tolerance that the middle
colonies tended to offer, the region featured a frontier that was continually
pushing west as more and more settlers made their way from other colonies
and overseas. Meanwhile, as urban areas continued to grow and develop
(Philadelphia eventually became the colonies' largest city), a social order
also emerged. Merchants who dealt in foreign trade formed the upper class
"aristocracy" of the region, while sailors, unskilled workers, and some
artisans comprised the lower classes. The middle class consisted of
craftsmen, retailers, and businessmen.
From "New Amsterdam" to "New York"
The area we know as New York was originally settled by the Dutch and was
named "New Netherland". In 1625, they established a successful trading
post at the mouth of the Hudson River called New Amsterdam. They traded
furs, local goods, and agricultural products like wheat and rye. England did
not fail to notice New Netherlands’ prosperity. In 1664, King Charles II
decided he wanted the region and declared the entire area under the rule of
his brother, the Duke of York. Unable to resist the British, New Amsterdam
surrendered and was immediately renamed New York. With its most prized
city lost, the rest of New Netherlands soon surrendered to the British as
well. The entire colony of New York was now in English hands.