Colonial America: 1587-1770
THE MIDDLE COLONIES
England Seizes the Dutch Colonies
 Bkgd.

1497- John Cabot claims all land b/t
Newfoundland and Florida for
England
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1664- King Charles II gave brother
James (Duke of York) a grant w/ New
Netherland in it!


Considered Dutch colony of New
Netherland to be intruders on English
soil
Mad about Dutch reselling Virginia
tobacco
 Tobacco trade was England’s!!!
Sent warships to make sure wouldn’t
be a problem
New Netherland’s Governor Peter
Stuyvesant
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Colorful, peg-legged, military hero
Ruled for 17 years
Land diverse, people too
Many languages
To fix colony’s $ problems, he raises
taxes
New York / New Jersey
 1664- Warships arrive in New
Amsterdam


People surrender immediately
Rename it after James, the Duke
of York
 James gave big land grants to
loyal friends

Area b/t Hudson and Delaware
Rivers to Sir George Carteret
and Lord Berkeley of Stratton
 New Jersey
 Attracts settlers quickly
 Land on easy terms
 Religious freedom
 Voting right for legislature
 1670- Quakers buy western part
of colony
Quakers Found Colony
 1681- Charles II gives large land
grant to William Penn (Jr.)


Owes father, Admiral William
Penn, $81,000
Wealthy, high social status

But… he’s a Quaker!
 Quakers stressed…

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Religious tolerance
Simplicity
Kindness to others
Opposed any use of force
Wanted religious, social, and
political freedom
 All this makes English believe
Quakers radicals!

Plus… Not Anglican!
 Quakers often imprisoned,
tortured, or hung
Holy
Cow! I’m
William
Penn the
Quaker
Oats
Guy!?!
What’s in a Name?
 Penn (Jr.) granted colony b/c
Charles II owes his father
$81,000



Admiral William Penn
Dies in 1670
Debt cancelled with land grant
Wants to name it Penn’s Land
(for Dad)
 King’s Council says NO! b/c
Quaker
 Names it Sylvania (woods)
 King Charles II renames
Pennsylvania
 Meaning “Penn’s Woods” in
honor of his friend

Pennsylvania
 Penn pays natives for land & treats
as equals

Sets up capital as Philadelphia
personally

Meaning “Brotherly Love”
 Attracts settlers w/ stories of great
soil and climate

Promises


Religious freedom
A voice in gov’t
 Prospers from beginning
 Produces large crops of wheat and other
food crops
 1682- gets more land and expands
west to Delaware Bay

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Defeat of Dutch by Duke of York
Penn’s Quaker beliefs not good
according to Dutch settlers already in the
area
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Begin petitioning for autonomy
Granted in 1704
Delaware Colony