THE MIDDLE COLONIES - Rayhan M.

THE MIDDLE COLONIES

Political: The political strcuture of the middle colonies varied as New Jersey and Delaware were proprietary colonies and New York and Pennsylvania were royal colonies. Although they were different types of settlements, all of them were religiously tolerant and diverse as they consisted of many different types of Europeans and their political structure. For example, William Penn's colony, Pennsylvania, was known for its government which had a participatory government and religious freedom. Social: The middle colonies' society consisted of many diverse populations, ranging from different European groups like the English, Dutch, German, and many Native American tribes. As a result, the colonies had much religious diversity, ax example being the Quakers of Pennsylvania, who were known for being religiously tolerant, later joined by William Penn. Cultural: As the society of the Middle Colonies were very diverse and religiously tolerant, much knowledge was exchanged through tribes. For example, many of the Quaker's principles were shared amongst the colonies, such as the University of Pennsylvania, where many ideas and scientific knowledge was shared to increase growth. Economic: Due to the geographical location of the colonies, the ports of New York and other bodies of water allowed for trade to thrive. Additionally, the climate and rich soil of the colonies allowed for crop cultivation and agriculture to be one of the main sources of economic prosperity. Additionally, much of iron and specialized products also contributed. Important Figures: 1: William Penn: The founder of Pennsylvania, was significant due to his implementation of the Quaker principles, such as religious freedom and tolerance, into the colony's government 2: Anne Hutchinson: A religious dessenter, Anne Hutchinson was banished from the New England for her beliefs, and eventually settled and expressed her ideas in New York where she was killed 3: James II: The Duke of York and the brother of Charles II, he was granted the colonies and seized control from its Dutch governer, where he renamed the colony New York. 4: Peter Stuyvesant: The former governer of "New Netherland" which was later captured and renamed as New York. He advocated for the Dutch governmental practices and had strong control and leadership skills over the country. Important Locations: Important locations were mainly large political or economic centers such as New York City, Philadelphia, and New Brunswick. Best Known For: The colonies were best known for their religious tolerance and cultural diversity, as well as their economic prosperity through trade and commerce which allowed for their educational institutions to be developed quickly

NEW YORK

Pennsylvania

NEW JERSEY

DELAWARE