The Settlers that came over from many European countries to settle in the Middle Colonies faced an abundancy of hardships. Some of these were of a social nature, such as developing relationships with Native Americans for trade and commerce, as well as for land acquisitions. Some were physical, dealing with the cold and severe winters of the Middle Colonies and the impact those winters had on settlement in specific regions. While some were more of an ethnic struggle and how the treatment of specific cultures of Europeans effected settlement in the Middle Colonies.
While settlers fought against Native Americans for land rights and acquisition, some spent time developing relationships with tribal leaders of the Middle Colonies. Tribes such as the Iroquois and Huron started out as allies of the colonists. However, soon after population increases forced tribes off their land, fighting amongst settlers and these tribes began to ensue. Colonists soon found themselves struggling to maintain the trading relationships they once developed and the diplomatic treaties that defined these relationships were being negated.
The physical struggles of the colonists in the Middle Colonists derived primarily from the harshness of the weather. The climate changes in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware were much different than most Europeans and British colonists were exposed to in their native lands. While the winters were cold and snowy, the rain of the spring and fall made the growing seasons very fruitful. Most Europeans that settled the Middle Colonies dealt with the harshness of winter to find success as wheat farmers. While others focused on lumber production and trade back to their native lands.
Possibly the biggest problem that colonists faced in the Middle Colonies besides the weather and social relationships with Native American tribes were the relationships between colonist demographics themselves. Settlers from different regions of Europe were very harsh to other settlers. One example is of German settlers, Colonists from Germany to the “New World” were often captured and delivered to Dutch settlers in a human trafficking/slave trade model. Most Germans were sold on the idea of a new land, with new possibilities and new hope. They would travel through the Netherlands, where they were claimed by the Dutch and brought on the long overseas journey. When they arrived in the Middle Colonies they did not find the wonderful world they were promised. Dutch colonists financed the journey’s of many German families and when they arrived in primarily Pennsylvania the families were forced to indenture their teenage sons and daughters to pay off their debts of starting over in a new land.
There were several obstacles that the Middle Colonies faced. One obstacle was dealing with the Native Americans who had control of the land. In the beginning, the settlers did establish some friendly relations with some Native Americans, such as with the Iroquois. As time passed, there was a growing distrust between the Native Americans and the British settlers because the Native Americans felt the British wanted to take over their land and the lucrative fur trade. Many settlers had to accept that the threat of Native American attacks was real.
The people of the Middle Colonies also had to learn to survive in these new lands. The climate could be harsh, especially during the cold winter months. They also had to learn what crops they could grow. Fortunately, the soil was very fertile, which helped with the growing of crops such as wheat. Additionally, those who settled in New York and New Jersey were able to establish manufacturing, lumbering, and trade as main economic activities.
There were people of different religions and backgrounds who settled in the Middle Colonies. While this could have been an issue for the settlers, religious freedom was tolerated and encouraged, and people accepted the differences of each group living in the Middle Colonies.
https://americantrade17thcentury.wordpress.com/middle-colonies/
https://www.facinghistory.org/nobigotry/religion-colonial-america-trends-regulations-and-beliefs
https://www.ushistory.org/us/4.asp
The settlers in the Middle colonies had to overcome problems in their relationship with the region's indigenous peoples, though in Pennsylvania the Native Americans were treated much more fairly than in other places, as the colonists were told to pay fair value for the land by the founder, William Penn. In upstate New York, the Iroquois and Huron tribes would often go to war against the colonists to prevent their spread into that region. Upstate New York saw some of the heaviest fighting of the French and Indian War. The colonists in the region also lived with the constant worry that French Canadians would come down during a time of war.
While winters could get quite cold, the Middle Colonies were known for having a good climate, and they exported food back to England. The colonies' success brought them immigrants from all over the world to the point that the English colonists developed some measure of xenophobia towards non-English speaking people. Even Benjamin Franklin wondered how German speakers in Pennsylvania would ever assimilate into mainstream colonial life.
Settlers of the middle colonies, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, faced many challenges including Native Americans, location, weather, religious and ethnic diversity.
The settlers had to establish relationships with the Native Americans who were firmly in control of the land.
Making the best use of the climate and the land to meet their economic needs was paramount to their survival. Northern areas of the colonies had a harsh climate with a short growing season, while the colonies located further south were more temperate. The area contained fertile farmlands, accessible shipping ports, and locations suited to manufacturing and distribution. As the colonies developed, the inhabitants learned to use the land and location efficiently.
As the colonies grew, more diverse groups of people settled there bringing with them a variety of religious beliefs and customs. These diverse groups established settlements in different areas of the colonies and within the cities. The middle colonies became more tolerant of a variety of religions and ethnic backgrounds than either the northern or southern colonies. Because there were so many different groups, one group could not dominate the others so they learned to co-exist.
The middle colonies developed and thrived through their economic and social diversity and wise use of natural resources.
https://www.ushistory.org/us/4.asp
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