Middle Colonies. (N.Y., N.J, Delaware, Penn)

New York.

• Charles II gave a land grant to his brother, the Duke of York (later became King James II)

• But Dutch claimed jurisdiction over this area (Henry Hudson, 1608) and had a colony there (1632), New Netherlands, with New Amsterdam as the capital

• Dutch had absorbed a small Swedish Colony to the South in 1655

Charles II c. 1675, as

painted by Sir Peter Lely.

Portrait of King James II by Sir Godfrey Kneller

• New Amsterdam was very Aristocratic and Autocratic: no democratic assemblies, restrictions on free speech, no religious toleration (only Dutch Reformed Church)

• The Dutch had granted Patroonships (plantations) - huge tracts of land – to those who could bring over 50 or more settlers (somewhat similar to Headright System).

• British wanted to eliminate New Netherlands – it drove a wedge between their Northern and Southern colonies and provided bases for Dutch smugglers evading English customs laws (compromised Mercantilism)

• Also, New England was unhappy about losing settlers to New Amsterdam

• British defeated Dutch army commanded by Peter Stuyvesant and took over the Colony: re-named it NY

• Diverse Population of NY: Swedish, Dutch, and now English – later Scandinavians, Germans, French, Africans; and Diverse Religions also

• British introduced a colonial Assembly but Aristocratic, autocratic tone continued from Dutch years

• Aristocratic Assembly and Governor were deposed in Leisler’s Rebellion: though he was defeated eventually, his rebellion did contribute to reducing the power of elite / to development of more democracy

• The Zenger Case (1735) helped establish the doctrine that true statements about public officials can not be prosecuted as libel (responsible criticisms)…sort of “freedom of the press” but full freedom of the press was unknown in the pre-Revolutionary era : (if a criticism was true it was not libel – Zenger had criticized Gov. Cosby for his incompetence)…

• Other than the Aristocratic legacy, the Dutch also left their imprint on other aspects of American society;

– Place Names: Harlem, Brooklyn– Distinct Architecture– Folkways / traditions / food: Easter eggs, Santa

Claus, waffles, bowling, sleighing, skating ....

The Quaker Colony - Pennsylvania.

• Quakers founder was George Fox - official name of the group was the Society of Friends, emerged in England in the 1600s

• Known as Quakers, after his admonition to his followers to tremble or quake at the name of the Lord and when overcome with deep religious emotion.

• The essence of his teaching was “the doctrine of the inner light, the illumination from God within each soul, which when rightly heeded could guide human beings along the path of righteousness”.

• Quakers rejected the concept of Predestination and original sin. Believed that all people had divinity within themselves and need only learn to cultivate it: all could attain salvation. All were equal in the eyes of God.

• They granted women a position within the church equal to that of men. They too could become preachers and define church doctrine.

• Of all the Protestant groups of the time, the Quakers were the most democratic, most egalitarian (considered anarchistic by some)

• No paid clergy: anyone was welcome to speak at their

services

• Their communities were virtually autonomous; only loosely linked

• They were persecuted by the British government because they

– refused to take oaths of allegiance – refused to pay taxes to the established Church of England– were confirmed Pacifists- would not fight in any war

• Sought asylum / a safe haven in the colonies from persecution

• Settled first in other colonies: NJ, NC, and New Eng colonies….but experienced lack of toleration there too…wanted a colony of their own where they could live according to their unique ideas

• William Penn became a convert to Quakerism:, his father had got a land grant from Charles II: called it Pennsylvania after him: decided to set up a Quaker colony

• He advertised the colony in England and Europe in his pamphlet A Brief Account of the Province of Pennsylvania, which was translated into several languages (Dutch, French, German)

• Promised that it would be a haven for those who were "low in the world” through liberal land grants.

• Encouraged farmers and craftsmen also, as well as the landless poor

• Became one of the most diverse colonies (like NY)

• Colony established in 1681: Penn called it a “holy experiment”. He promised religious freedom, social equality, a liberal Government with a representative assembly, no slavery, no militia, no gambling, drama...

• The planned capital city of Philadelphia ("brotherly love"), was build in a planned rectangular shape

• Penn, like Williams, believed that the Native Americans should be reimbursed for the land and befriended .

• More than any other Colony, Pennsylvania prospered from the outset – due to successful recruitment of settlers, planning, and the region's mild climate and fertile soil.

• The main complaint from the first settlers was that Penn was too slow to introduce the Legislative Assembly – he eventually did

Paxton Boys Rebellion of 1764: Backcountry settlers, led by Scots Irish Presbyterians (“showed their inclination towards violence”), marched on Philadelphia to protest the lack of protection, and under-representation in the West

Economy of Middle Colonies

• Conditions for agriculture were far better in Middle Colonies: fertile soil, better climate, weather

• N.Y. Penn. became the chief suppliers of wheat to New Eng and South. Became known as the Bread Colonies / Bread Basket.

• Land holdings were no where near as large as the Southern Plantations (except for Patroonships), though much bigger than in New England.

• Also extensive shipbuilding and lumbering: manufacturing (textiles, soap, candles. Shoes)

Middle Colonies

• PERS• Political: Aristocratic gov. in NY, Democratic in

Penn eventually• Economic: Commercial Agriculture, manufacturing,

lumbering, iron• Religious: Quakers in Penn• Social: Most diverse, Penn not as aristocratic

Things to remember for the American Revolution

• Salutary (Benign) Neglect (free to develop their own

institutions, patterns, culture.. were “semiautonomous commonwealths”)

• Structure and Power of Colonial Legislatures• Ec, Soc, Rel freedom• Dominion of New England• Navigation Laws…(later slide)• Changing Demographics (62/38)…next slide

Demographic Changes

• In the British Colonies as a whole, the % of the population not of British descent was gradually increasing

• Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, (really Scottish, via Ireland) - 7% of pop. by 1775

• They were particularly defiant / rebellious of British authority: lived along the frontier regions, refused to pay taxes to the Anglican Church, involved in Paxton Boys Rebellion in PA and the Regulator Movement in NC

• German Protestants - 6% of pop. by 1775, mainly in Pennsylvania, mistakenly called the Pennsylvania Dutch, should be Deutsch

• Also Dutch, mainly in Pennsylvania, French (Calvinists / Huguenots), Irish, Swiss, Welsh……others made up 5%

• Africans Slaves, made up 20% of pop,

• The Middle Colonies esp. became a "melting pot".

• Outside of New Eng, 50% of pop of Colonial America was non English.

• These peoples of Non-British Descent (total of 38%; British Descent 62%) had few, if any, feelings of loyalty to the English Crown.– Scotch-Irish - 7%– German - 6% – Others - 5%– Africans - 20 %– British 62%

The Navigation Laws

• As the colonies became more successful commercially, the British govt. wanted to formalize the Mercantilist position on trade

– imports should be from Britain, exports should be to Britain

– foreign countries should be excluded from trade with the Colonies

– Colonies should not manufacture items they could import from Britain

• Gradually, the British govt. introduced a series of laws which became known as the Navigation Laws

Navigation Laws

• 1. 1650 – Dutch ships were excluded from trading with the colonies.

• 2. 1660 - Closed the colonies to all trade except with English owned ships (could still import and export from outside empire). Also required certain items, among them tobacco to be exported from the colonies only to Britain, or to British possession.

• 3. 1663 - all goods sent from Europe to the colonies had to pass through England on the way, where taxes / tariffs were assessed

• 4. 1673 - imposed duties on coastal trade among the colonies and provided for the appointment of customs officials to enforce the Navigation Acts.

• 5. The Molasses Act of 1733 - tried to put an end to North American trade with the French West Indies. Molasses could only be imported from the British West Indies

• 6. The Woolen Act 1699, Hat Act 1732, Iron Act 1750, restricted output of these manufacturing industries in the colonies, to prevent competition with British imports

• However, for the most part these Acts were difficult if not impossible to enforce.

– Extensive Coast Line– Insufficient Administrators / Customs Officials– Officials were often willing to take bribes– Not enough British Naval Vessels to prevent evasion /

smuggling

• The colonists might protest the actual existence of the Acts but in truth they were not applied – there were few restrictions on Colonial Trade. It was not a hated system.

• They traded freely with Spain, France, the Dutch when they choose to

• And the Mercantilist system, offered several benefits to the colonies;

– They had markets in Britain for most goods they produced– They could get from Britain most goods they needed– They had the protection of the British Navy against Pirates

• The British, like the Colonists, were pleased with the benefits of Colonial trade: even though the Navigation Laws were not enforced / were ignored …..the majority of overseas colonial trade was with Britain

• Approx 70% of imports to the colonies came from Britain and 70% of exports went to Britain

• Given how little they policed and enforced the laws, the British were pleased with the net benefits