Chapter 3 Section 3 Notes: Middle Colonies
Geography of Middle Colonies
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Hudson River flows through eastern NY
PA—southeastern section is lowland. Capital city, Philadelphia is located on the Delaware River
Climate: Middle colonies had a warmer climate, that allows for a longer season of farming
o Area had fertile soil, good for growing wheat, fruits, and vegetables
Colonies of NY and NJ
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NY: originally a Dutch colony
o Hudson River Valley was a very prosperous region, especially fur trading between the Dutch and
Natives
o Many colonist were from Sweden, France, Portugal
1664, King Charles II granted a charter giving the rights to the Dutch lands to his brother, James Duke of
York
o Sent warships to New Amsterdam and the Dutch surrendered immediately (changed the name to
New York)
NJ: was established in 1665, as it split away from NY
o Started as a Proprietary Colony until 1702 then it became a Royal Colony
Colonies of PA and DE
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Quakers were new to the Americas in the 1640s and 50s
o Believed all people had a direct link with God (Did not need ministers)
o All people were equal in God’s eyes (spoke against slavery)
 Women were equal to men in spiritual matters, became leaders in Quaker meetings
Many Quakers refused to pay taxes to support the Church of England
o Led to the persecution of Quakers
William Penn, wanted to create a place for Quakers to live safe from persecution and received a charter
from the King of England
o Penn named the capital PA Philadelphia “City of Brotherly Love”
o He encouraged people of all backgrounds to come to the colony (England, Scotland, Wales,
Ireland, Germany, Holland, Switzerland)
 Wanted a colony with people from different religious backgrounds who could live
peacefully
Penn also wrote the Frame of Government for Pennsylvania
o In PA, colonists could not settle the lands until the Natives sold their land
Delaware: Separate Colony
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Swedes were the 1st Europeans to settle in Delaware, later it was taken under the control of the Dutch
until they lost it to the English following the loss of NY
Penn’s charter included the land of Delaware, but most settlers in DE refused to send delegates to a
distant assembly in PA…1704, Delaware became a Separate Colony
Growth and Change in the Middle Colonies:
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Farming made the colony prosper, they grew more food than what was needed, so the surplus was sold
to customers in New England
Manufacturing began as these colonies produced Iron, Flour, and paper
Artisans were abundant in the middle colonies (shoemakers, carpenters, masons, weavers, and coopers)
The Backcountry:
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Frontier region extended from PA—GA
Most colonists living in the backcountry were not English settlers
o Scotch-Irish, Germans (PA Dutch)
As people pushed South, an unpaved road was established (Great Wagon Road)
Chapter 3 Section 4: Southern Colonies
The Southern Colonies: MD, VA, NC, SC, and GA
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Geography—The Mason-Dixon line separates the Middle and Southern Colonies
o All 5 southern colonies share the eastern coastal area (tidewater)
o In the West of the southern colonies there is the Piedmont (rolling hills)
Climate—warm and humid, allows for a long growing season (tobacco, rice)
The Growth of Virginia:
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Population grew quickly in VA after living conditions improved, by 1670, there were more women and
children in the colony because fewer were dying at a young age
Conflicts with the natives
o Farmers continued to take land from the natives as they planted more and more tobacco. This
leads to 2 violent attacks from the natives (1622/1644). Both times the natives are defeated by
the colonists.
o By 1644, most natives in the area accepted the fact that the English would rule the eastern coast
Bacons Rebellion: In VA, most wealthy planters owned all the good farmlands, the poorer colonists did
not have enough money to buy their own land so many were forced to work on the large farms (unable to
vote because they did not own property)
o As a result, the poor farmers began to move west into the Native lands, which led to conflicts
with the natives. Farmers wanted support from the government as they fought with the natives,
but the governor of VA did not want to disrupt the trade network with the natives
o Nathaniel Bacon, a poor farmer, led a rebellion to attack the natives. This rebellion caused the
governor to label Bacon and his followers’ rebels. Bacon’s response to this was to attack
Jamestown (burned it to the ground) The rebellion ended when Bacon became sick and died,
after his death 23 followers were hanged for their involvement
Maryland’s Religious Toleration:
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1632, Catholic George Calvert was given a charter for a new colonies in the Americas
o He wanted to establish a place where Catholics could live safely
o The 1st settlers of Maryland were protestants and Catholics
After the death of George Calvert, his son, Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore) became the proprietor of the
colony) Passed the Act of Toleration in 1649—welcomed all Christians and gave adult male Christians the
right to vote and hold office
Colonies in the Carolinas and Georgia:
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1663- King Charles II, granted a charter for a colony to established and called Carolina
o North: area developed slow, there were no harbors, rivers for easy travel, had small farms and
some lumber to help with shipbuilding
o South: grew very quickly, sugar/rice were major crops
 Used slaves to cultivate the crops
 Charles Town became the largest cities in the southern colonies
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Georgia: founded for 2 reasons:
 1. Feared Spain was going to expand north from Florida
 2. Wealth Englishmen (James Oglethorpe) wanted a colony to protect English Debtors
 Leaders of Georgia wanted to have colony full of small farms/no plantations—slavery was
banned in the colony until 1750
Change in the South:
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Tidewater Region: plantations changed the colonies
o This system began in MD/VA then spread south
 Rice crop promoted slavery
o Plantations divided the white community (wealthy and poor backcountry)
Backcountry—families lived in 1 room shacks—families worked together on their farms (men, women,
and children)