The Middle colonies
Bilal, Eric, Jenna, Kody, and Matt
Why were these colonies founded?
· Delaware- intended to trade with local Indians.
· Pennsylvania- to create a colony that allowed for freedom of religion.
· New York- for trade and furs
· New Jersey- for farming and trade.
What role did religion play?
Religion didn’t play much of a role, but Quakers, Catholics, Jews, Lutherans and Presbyterians were religions with the most numbers.
What were the economic conditions?
They enjoyed a successful and diverse economy, many jobs were important in keeping the economy running well, such as: Logging, shipbuilding, textiles production, and papermaking.
Delaware
- Founded by Peter Minuit and others in 1638
Pennsylvania
- Founded by William Penn and others in 1682
New York
- Founded by Peter Minuit and others in 1626
New Jersey
Founded by English colonists in 1664
What were the geographical characteristics?
- Delaware- water covers 2/3 the coast of Delaware, has over 50 freshwater lakes and ponds, and nearly all of Delaware is on the water.
- Pennsylvania- very hilly, excellent soil for agriculture, and there were harsh winters.
- New York- Dry and hot summers, cold winters with lots of snow, lots of moutains and forests
- New Jersey- very rocky, rich virgin soil, and the winters were typically cold and summers are hot and timid.
Other facts
· The Middle colonies spanned the Mid-Atlantic region of America and were temperate in climate with warm summers and cold winters. ]
· Geography ranged from coastal plains along the coastline, piedmont in the middle, and mountains farther inland.
· These colonies were known as the “breadbasket” because of the large amounts of barley, wheat, oats, and rye that were grown here.