Bread Both Ways
Middle Colonies
The Happy Medium
Our colonies include New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Temperature in January is normally between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and there is usually around 30-40 days of snow in the year, perfect for people who just want to snuggle up in front of a fire; and for all those who prefer to swim, temperature is normally about 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit in July!
For anyone wanting to focus on growing their wonderful crops like maize, beans, and pumpkins. You're in luck! We get 20-40 inches of rainfall every year and a growing season that goes from 150-180 days each year!
Just head over by the Delaware River for some fertile summer soil. Crops already grown here include corn, beans, and pumpkins. We already know how to grow these crops since we learned from the Native people of this land.
The settler Robert Juet described the colony of New York beautifully:
"The lands were pleasant, with grass and flowers and goodly trees . . . and very sweet smells came from them."
"Robert Juet: quote on New York." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
There are also many shipping ports thanks to the location of the colonies. This makes it perfect for people who want to trade goods.
Source
"Regional Development of the Colonies (Visual)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 30 Sept. 2013.
Source
Making that Dough!
New York alone produces eighty thousand barrels of flour every year! With those eighty thousand barrels, the settlers of the Middle Colonies create enough bread to keep our economy going.
A Flour-ing Culture
Everyone Welcome!
We here at the Middle Colony of New Netherland accept people of all ethnic backgrounds. We already have settlers from Holland, Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Africa!
Everyone?
"colonial religion." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
Quaker Oats
That's no problem!
Pennsylvania, having been bought by Quaker William Penn, is now a colony where you can freely practice your religion, especially if your a Quaker.
Penn himself had this to say about religion:
"Religion is the Fear of God, and its Demonstration on good Works; and Faith is the Root of both: For without Faith we cannot please God, nor can we fear what we do not believe."
"William Penn: quote on religion." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
Clearly, as he does not address any specific God, his general view on religion shows that he accepts people of all religions as long as they fear God.
Who is William Penn you ask?
McGuire, William, and Leslie Wheeler. "William Penn." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
William Penn took the initiative and made a treaty with the native people to keep them from attacking the settlers.
His treaty, The Walking Treaty of 1737 from the Leigh and Delaware Rivers as far into the woods as "a man can travel in a day and a half".
"William Penn's treaty with Delaware Indians." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.
"Wheat" The People
The Middle Colonies had a provincial government that was governed by commissions created by the monarch. A governor and council were appointed, invested with general executive powers, and authorized to call an assembly consisting of two houses
- (the council itself was the upper house,
- the assembly being the lower house), made up of representatives of the freeholders and planters of the province. The governor had the power of absolute veto, and could prorogue (ie, delay) and dissolve the assembly.
The assembly could make all local laws and ordinances that were not inconsistent with the laws of England.
Works Cited
Danzer, Gerald A., J. Jorge Klor De Alva, Larry S. Krieger, and Louis E. Wilson. "Settlement of The Middle Colonies." The Americans. Ed. Nancy Woloch. N.p.: McDougal Littell, 2009. 56-58. Print.
Danzer, Gerald A., J. Jorge Klor De Alva, Larry S. Krieger, and Louis E. Wilson. "Settlement of The Middle Colonies." The Americans. Ed. Nancy Woloch. N.p.: McDougal Littell, 2009. 60-61. Print.
"Frame of Government of Pennsylvania." The Avalon Project. Yale Law School, n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2013. <http://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/pa04.asp>.
Landsman, Ned C. Crossroads of Empire. Baltimore: JHU, 2010. Print.
"Pennsylvania Frame of Government (1682)." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/293349?terms=middle+colonies+>
"Regional Development of the Colonies (Overview)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1183166>
"William Penn's treaty with Delaware Indians." Image. Library of Congress. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/294465?terms=middle%20colonies%20>