Middle and Southern Colonies

As the colonies of Plymouth and Jamestown grew and flourished other colonies began to be founded.

In 1621 the Dutch founded the colony of New Amsterdam on Manhatten Island. Soon the prosperity drew the attention of the English king, Charles II. Claiming that the land on which the colony was located was his brother's, the Duke of York.

To take this colony the English sent an army and a fleet in 1664 to expel the Dutch and impose the their own rule upon Manhatten.

They then renamed the colony New York.

Other colonies founded between Jamestown in Virginia and New York were New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 by William Penn who used his land grant from the English king to form his colony that was dedicated to religious tolernance.

Unlike the Puritans in New England Penn wanted a colony where all religious beliefs were welcome. Chief amongst these groups were the Quakers, they believed that all men were equal and they sought peaceful relations with the Native American population. Also unlike the New England colonies was the diversity of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania was the first colony to receive large numbers of non-English settlers namely Germans and Swiss.

In1638 Delaware was founded by Swedish settlers but it too was soon taken over by the English.

Like New England and the Middle Colonies the Southern colonies were also founded throughout the 17th century (1600's)

After Virginia Maryland was founded in 1634, it was founded as a haven for catholics to escape persecution in Great Britain.

The Carolinas were founded as new areas to grow tobbacco and for the products obtained from the pine forests.

Georgia was founded as a haven for debtors and as a buffer zone from the Spanish who were located in Florida.



Other colonies around Pensylvania i