Chapter 3: The English Establish 13 Colonies Part 3: Founding the Middle and Southern Colonies

The Middle Colonies or Mid – Atlantic Colonies were: New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware

The Middle Colonies were Diverse Religious freedom in the Middle Colonies attracted people from many different religions including: Protestants, Catholics, Quakers, and Jews. The Middle colonies were also ethnically diverse. Settlers were from: Sweden, the Netherlands, England, Germany and Africa.

New Netherland becomes New York Dutch settlers settled New Netherland in 1624. It was an ideal location for a trade center because of the natural harbors on the Atlantic Coast. New Netherlands caught the attention of the King of England – Charles II. He wanted the colony for England. Charles sent the English navy and the Dutch gave up New Netherlands without a fight. New Netherlands became New York – named after King Charles’s brother the Duke of York.

New Jersey The Duke of York had more land then he needed, so he gave a big chunk to his friends. This became the colony of New Jersey.

Pennsylvania and Delaware The Penn family were rich people from England. Their son, William, became a Quaker. They were very embarrassed, so their friend the king gave them some land in America. They sent William to live there to get him out of England William Penn founded Pennsylvania and made it a refuge for Quakers. Penn was a good guy. He promoted religious freedom in his colony and insisted that Native Americans be treated fairly and with respect. Later, Penn granted the three lower counties of Pennsylvania a charter and they set up their own colony of Delaware.

The Southern Colonies The Southern Colonies were: Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia, and Virginia

Maryland Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore. He wanted to create a refuge for Catholics. In addition to providing a safe haven for Catholics, Baltimore wrote the Maryland Act of Toleration making it illegal to discriminate against anyone for his or her religion in the colony of Maryland. Maryland’s economic base was tobacco plantations.

The Carolinas The Carolinas were founded in 1663 by Englishmen from the island of Barbados. Charles Town, later called Charlestown, became the center of activity in this colony. Charlestown is a port city. The Carolinians used slave labor on their plantations Eventually the Carolinas split over differences and became two colonies: North Carolina and South Carolina.

Georgia Georgia was the last of the 13 colonies to be established. Seminole Indians from the Spanish held territory of Florida had begun raiding the rich plantation owners in the Carolinas. To provide a buffer between the Carolinians and the Seminoles, Georgia was established by James Oglethorpe. No one wanted to live in a dangerous place, so prisoners in the overcrowded jails of England were offered freedom if they would volunteer to live in Georgia. Many accepted the offer.