Middle Colonies Lecture Notes

Overview

• Nickname: Breadbasket Colonies
• Color Code: Yellow (representing production of wheat and grain)
• Memory Trick: New, Pens, Never, Drip (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware)

Key Colonies and Characteristics

New Netherlands (New York)

• Originally owned by the Dutch
• Known as New Amsterdam
• British took over to expand trade, focusing on the port city of New York

Delaware

• Key focus: Location on the map
• Established for fur trade

New Jersey

• Established primarily for profit from land sales
• Noted for some religious and political freedom

Pennsylvania

• Led by William Penn, leader of the Quakers
• Quakers:
  • Anti-slavery
  • Pacifists (peaceful)
  • Support women's rights
• William Penn's Framework of Government:
  • Focus on establishing a representative government
  • Advocates for more rights for women and broad voting rights for men
• Philadelphia: Important port city

Economic Activities

• Known as breadbasket due to wheat and grain production
• Farms are small to medium-sized, no large plantations
• Other activities: cattle, lumber, and fishing

Geography

• Fertile soil and milder climate compared to New England
• Important port cities: Philadelphia and New York City

Social Aspects

• Quakers concentrated in Pennsylvania
  • Anti-slavery, peaceful (pacifists), support women's rights and religious freedom
• Other colonies like New York, New Jersey, and Delaware focused on making a profit

Summary

• Refer to Colin E. for a cheat sheet on all necessary information regarding the middle colonies.
• Remember that not all colonies shared the Quaker values; many were profit-driven.

Next Steps

• Upcoming lecture: Southern Colonies

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These notes are intended to help you review key aspects of the middle colonies in preparation for further studies on colonial America.