![]() These grand estates, called patroonships, were granted to stockholders who promised to have fifty adults living on the estate within four years. The New Netherland colony was highly aristocratic, with large feudal estates along the Hudson River. In 1626, the Dutch bought Manhattan Island from the Indians for pennies an acre, and they started trading posts at New Amsterdam, later called New York, and upriver at Fort Orange, later called Albany. He filed a claim to all of this land for the Dutch. Hudson sailed along the upper coast of North America, and in 1609 he encountered Delaware Bay and the river named for him, the Hudson River. Seeking greater riches and a passageway around America to China, the Dutch East India Company hired Henry Hudson, an English explorer. The Dutch East India Company established a trading empire that was profitable for over three hundred years. Like the English, the Dutch developed colonies by authorizing joint-stock companies to go forth and establish trading outposts and commerce. With this newfound power, the Dutch became a leading colonial presence, especially in the East Indies. This was because the Dutch in the Netherlands enjoyed a very high standard of living and if they wanted to leave their country, there were other colonies, especially in Asia that were more alluring than America. It was a small colony that did not attract new settlers. The land was rich for hunting, fishing and fur trapping. New York was originally settled by the Dutch and called New Netherland. The Netherlands evolved into a major commercial and naval power and challenged its former benefactor, England, on several occasions during the seventeenth century. In the late sixteenth century, with the help of Protestant England, the people of the Netherlands won their independence from Spain. The Dutch were some of the first to settle in this area. The primary motive for establishing the middle, or mid-Atlantic colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware was to develop profitable trading centers. However, urban slavery did exist in Philadelphia as well as in New York. ![]() Philadelphia was considered the “city of brotherly love” because the Quakers believed in non-violence. Philadelphia was the first colonial city to have public street lighting, paved streets and the first city to have its own fire department, thanks to Benjamin Franklin. It was also the second largest city in the British Empire after London. Philadelphia was home to over a dozen shipyards and was the leader of all the colonies in shipbuilding. ![]() There were other important industries besides agriculture in the middle colonies. The middle colonies were fortunate to have navigable rivers that could transport products from the east to the west. This land was quite different from the land of New England which was not known for its flat, fertile farmland. There was such an abundance of wheat grown in these colonies that they became known as the “bread basket” colonies. The major agricultural crops were fruits, vegetables and grains. The major settlers were Quakers and the Dutch, both groups practicing religious tolerance. The middle colonies became known for their religious tolerance. The middle colonies were more diverse than the New England colonies, attracting settlers from Germany, Switzerland, and Holland – countries rich in farming tradition. The land of the middle colonies consisted of rich soil, large navigable rivers, bays and a long, warm growing season – all the qualities of rich farmland. New York and New Jersey originally were proprietary colonies, but eventually became royal colonies, New York in 1685 and New Jersey in 1702. ![]() Pennsylvania and Delaware were proprietary colonies. The Middle Colonies were New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. ![]()
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