The+Colony+of+New+York

The Colony of New York


 * Geography - **

The Colony of New York was a part of the middle colonies. This region stretched from present day New York to as far south as Delaware. New York was bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south; Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east, and also had International borders with provinces of Canada. New York was a colony located on the east coast; it shared some of the same geographic features as other middle colonies. For example it had natural ports, and river ways that would later be used for trade and transportation. In early American settlements, rivers and harbors were almost necessary for a colonist’s survival. The Hudson River was a very important source of transportation, it allowed for settlements to be established quick and easy. New York being so big comprises several different topographies, such as the Adirondacks, which is part of the Appalachian Chain of mountains. Farming conditions in the colony of New York were not the best. 25% of the land was actually used for farming which was not that much compared to Virginia or other southern Colonies. Geography affected the development of the colony because it made it a trade post for the rest of the colonies and in its future the rest of the world.


 * History - **

New York was colonized by the Dutch and named New Amsterdam. In 1664 the British annexed it and the area became New York. The French first came to New York in 1524. They came to trade with Native Americans and to gain land. The Dutch then claimed it in 1609 because of the Dutch East India Company hiring Henry Hudson to find a passageway to India. After a failed attempt he headed back and came across the Hudson River Valley which was then claimed. The colonization of New York was economic. The colony thrived on fur trapping, lumber trading, and the slave trade. The colony of New York had a limited form of self government. In the beginning New York wasn’t very religious at all. They didn’t have a definite religion until the British came and brought Christianity with them. There were also many Quakers, Protestants, and some Native American religions were still practiced. There was still a Native American presence in New York during colonization. The Iroquois and Mohawk were still in large groups during colonization and were part of the fur trade.

The Colony of New York’s economy was not always the global force that it is today. In order to survive colonists had to use the natural resources that were given to them and use them as trading goods, and food. There form of commerce was that industry, particularly the textile industry, replaced agriculture as the dominant forces of the economy. In colonial New York there was slavery, maybe not as harsh as it was in the south, but there was definitely slavery.
 * Economics -[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Triangular_trade.jpg/175px-Triangular_trade.jpg align="right"]] **

The languages spoken in colonial New York were English, Dutch, Spanish, and French due to the fact that these groups lived, colonized and traded there. The colony of New York had many religious affiliations. Mainly Christian, Quakers, and Protestants. But, there were also Jews, Lutherans, Separatists, Puritans, and some Native American religions were still practiced. Women in colonial New York made candles, raised children, and cleaned houses and clothing. They weren’t given as much respect as the men were.
 * Social - **


 * Political - **

The Colony of New York was not given a charter. But the Colonist established a self rule policy which the English didn’t like very much so they came in and took over, and made it a royal government. The effect of this was that the colonist rebelled and were successful.

Works Cited: // American History //, s.v. "New York," accessed September 25, 2011. [].


 * TERMS **


 * 1) New York was involved with the Triangular Trade through the slave trade
 * 2) New York was not able to trade freely due to Mercantilism which was a way of Britain to keep all trade in check.
 * 3) Salutary Neglect was a way of limiting Britain’s involvement in Mercantilism.
 * 4) The Great Awakening was a sweeping movement of Christianity throughout the colonies. This is where New York became heavily Christian.
 * 5) New York’s primary Cash Crops were grain and wheat.

New York was fought for by the British but, they lost and did not gain the territory. New York was also where the Iroquois Confederation held a large amount of power. New York was still a part of the colonies and did not get taken by Britain after the war. New York was a patriot state. They rebelled against Britain’s control. New York supported the idea of revolution.
 * Road to Revolution **


 * Revolution **

James Clinton, Alexander McDougall, Richard Montgomery, and Phillip Schuyler were all military leaders from New York during the Revolution. New York was onboard with the Revolution. New York City was taken by General Howe but was then taken back by the end of the war. This is also around the same time of George Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River. New York and the rest of America were freed from British control. New York supported the constitution but were hesitant at first.

Works Cited: // American History //, s.v. "New York," accessed September 25, 2011. [].

"Dutch Colonization." //Nps.gov.// 12/8/2009. < [] >.

"French and Indian War." Global Security. 7 March 2011. < http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/french_indian.htm / >.