DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A The Middle SECTION 3 Colonies TEKS 4B, 10A, 10B, 11A, 11C, 20A If YOU were there… What You Will Learn… You are a farmer in southern Germany in 1730. Religious wars have Main Ideas torn your country apart for many years. Now you hear stories about 1. The English created New a place in America where people of all religions are welcome. But York and New Jersey from former Dutch territory. the leaders of the colony—and many of its people—are English. You 2. William Penn established the would not know their language or customs. Still, you would be free colony of Pennsylvania. 3. The economy of the middle to live and worship as you like. colonies was supported by trade and staple crops. How would you feel about moving to a country full of strangers? The Big Idea People from many nations settled in the middle colonies. BUILDING BACKGROUND The middle section of the Atlantic coast offered good land and a moderate climate. Several prominent English Key Terms and People Peter Stuyvesant, p. 85 people established colonies that promised religious freedom. To people Quakers, p. 86 like the settler above, these colonies promised a new life. William Penn, p. 86 staple crops, p. 87 New York and New Jersey The Dutch founded New Netherland in 1613 as a trading post for exchanging furs with the Iroquois. The center of the fur trade in Use the graphic organizer online to New Netherland was the town of New Amsterdam on Manhattan take notes on the founding of the Island. Generous land grants to patroons, or lords, and religious tol- middle colonies. erance soon brought Jews, French Huguenots, Puritans, and others to the colony. Director General Peter Stuyvesant (STY-vuh-suhnt) led the colony beginning in 1647. Peter Stuyvesant was forced to surrender New Amsterdam to the English in 1664. THE ENGLISH COLONIES 85 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A Characteristics of the Middle Colonies Social Economic • New York: Dutch influence • successful farming of staple crops • New Jersey: diverse population • work force of slaves and indentured servants • Pennsylvania: founded by Quakers • active trade with Britain and West Indies In 1664 an English fleet captured the Penn’s Colony THE IMPACT undefended colony of New Amsterdam with- The Society of Friends, or the Quakers, made TODAY out firing a single shot. New Netherland was up one of the largest religious groups in New Today New York renamed New York, and New Amsterdam Jersey. Quakers did not follow formal religious City is the largest became New York City. city in the United practices and dressed plainly. They believed States, with more Soon after the English conquest in 1664, in the equality of men and women before than 8 million the Duke of York made Sir George Carteret God. They also supported nonviolence and people. and Lord John Berkeley proprietors of New religious tolerance for all people. At the time, Jersey. This colony occupied lands between many Quaker beliefs and practices shocked the Hudson and Delaware rivers. It had a most Christians. As a result, Quakers were diverse population, including Dutch, Swedes, persecuted in both England and America. Finns, and Scots. The fur trade was impor- One proprietor of the New Jersey colony tant to the economies of New York and New was a Quaker named William Penn. Penn Jersey through the end of the 1600s. wished to found a larger colony under his READING CHECK Comparing How were New own control that would provide a safe home York and New Jersey similar? for Quakers. In 1681 King Charles II agreed to grant Penn a charter to begin a colony west of New Jersey. Penn’s colony, known as Pennsylvania, B IOGRAPHY grew rapidly. Penn limited his own power William Penn and established an elected assembly. He 1644–1718 also promised religious freedom to all William Penn was born in London as the Christians. His work made Pennsylvania son of a wealthy admiral. Penn joined the an important example of representative Quakers in 1666 and became an active self-government— a government that reflects preacher and writer of religious works. its citizens’ will— in the colonies. He supported toleration of dissenters. Penn named the capital of his colony Phil- In 1681 he received a charter to adelphia, which means “the city of brotherly establish a new colony called Penn- love.” In 1682 the Duke of York sold Penn a sylvania. There, Penn put his beliefs region to the south of Pennsylvania. This area, into practice. He insisted on fair called Delaware, remained part of Pennsylva- dealings with local American Indians, nia until 1776. welcomed immigrants, and promised religious toleration. READING CHECK Finding Main Ideas Why did William Penn establish Pennsylvania, Making Generalizations How did Penn’s and how did he influence its government? ideas influence the rules of the colony? 86 CHAPTER 3 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A Economy of the Trade was important to the economy of the middle colonies. Merchants in Philadel- Middle Colonies phia and New York City exported colonial The middle colonies combined characteris- goods to markets in Britain and the West tics of the New England and southern colo- Indies. These products included wheat from nies. With a good climate and rich land, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. farmers there could grow large amounts Throughout the colonies, women made of staple crops —crops that are always important contributions to the economy. needed. These crops included wheat, bar- They ran farms and businesses such as ley, and oats. Farmers also raised livestock. clothing and grocery stores, bakeries, and However, their use of only one plant in drugstores. Some women also practiced each field made the fields vulnerable to medicine and worked as nurses and mid- erosion and insects. wives. However, colonial laws and customs Slaves were somewhat more impor- limited women’s economic opportunities. tant to the middle colonies than they Most colonial women worked primar- were to New England. They worked in ily in the home. Married women managed cities as skilled laborers, such as black- households and raised children. Sometimes smiths and carpenters. Other slaves they earned money for their families by sell- worked on farms, onboard ships, and in ing products like butter or washing clothes. the growing shipbuilding industry. How- ever, indentured servants largely filled READING CHECK Finding the Main Idea On what the middle colonies’ growing labor needs. were the economies of the middle colonies based? Between 1700 and 1775 about 135,000 indentured servants came to the middle colonies. About half of them moved to S UMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section Pennsylvania. By 1760 Philadelphia had you learned about the middle colonies. become the largest British colonial city. In the next section you will read about Other cities in the middle colonies, such as colonial government, the slave trade, and New York City, also grew quickly. conflicts that arose in the English colonies. Section 3 Assessment ONLINE QUIZ Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People Critical Thinking 1. a. Describe Name the middle colonies. Where were 4. Sequencing Review your notes about which they located? How did the region’s physical geography nation founded each middle colony. Then com- compare to that of the northern and southern colonies? plete the time line below by listing the event that b. Draw Inferences What led to the diverse popu- occurred on each of the dates on the time line. lations of New York and New Jersey? 2. a. Identify Who are the Quakers? 1613 1647 1664 1681 b. Analyze How did William Penn attempt to create a colonial government that would be fair FOCUS ON WRITING to all? 3. a. Describe What different types of jobs did slaves 5. Comparing Colonies You’ve just read about early in the middle colonies hold? colonies in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. b. Evaluate In what ways were women essential to Think about the advantages they offered to settlers the middle colonies? and what difficulties settlers faced. In your notes, put a star beside one of the colonies you might use in your infomercial. THE ENGLISH COLONIES 87.