Dutch and Swedes, the Non English North American Colonies

 

New Netherlands, 1625-1674, (present New York and New Jersey) and New Sweden, 1638-1655, (Present Delaware) were two short lived North American colonial establishments.  New Sweden was taken first by the Dutch in 1655, while the Dutch colony was taken by force by the English in 1674.

New Netherlands was established for trade and territory power projection by the Dutch West Indies Company with the creation of Fort Nassau, a "Facrorij" (trading post). Established mostly on the Hudson River Valley, the major towns of New Netherlands were New Amsterdam (New York), Beverwijck (Albany), Schenectady and New Amstel (New Castle, Delaware). Their most powerful and unpopular leader was Governor Peter Stuyvesant.

Established for fur trade with the Native Americans, Nova Sweediae (New Sweden) was founded in 1638, by the Swedish South Company with the building of Fort Christina on the Delaware River. Under the leadership of Peter Minuet, the Swedish colony made friendly trade relations with the Susquehannock and Delaware tribes.

The tribes allowed further Swedish settlements at Fort Nya and Fort Nya Gothenborg. As trade communities, few actual settlers came to the colony. With a small European population of less than 600 the colony was easily overrun by the Dutch of New Netherlands during the 2nd Northern War (1655-60). From that point on New Sweden was now part of the New Netherlands Colony.

By 1670, the colonial population of New Netherlands was over 9000 Europeans or European descendants. As the English did not want an unfriendly power to have a colony dividing the English controlled territories of New England and Virginia/Maryland plans were laid to take the territory.

The diverse group of people of New Netherlands had little enthusiasm for fighting the English when the English fleet of James, Duke of York, threatened New Amsterdam in 1664. The city and colony of New Netherlands basically surrendered without a shot fired. With the end of the 2nd Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667) the Dutch formally gave up any claim to New Netherlands-now known as New York colony

While both New Netherlands and New Sweden were non-English colonies for only a short period of time, their national traits had much longer effects upon the formation of the "Colonial Spirit" of the thirteen colonies that would form the basis of the United States.