The generalization about pre-revolution America is that Canada was French, the United States was english and everything betlow that was Spanish. I would assume most people also know about the french in Louisiana and the Portugese in Brazil. I assume you also know the Dutch in New York before it was gifted to the Duke of York, but do you know about New Sweeden?

If you remeber NYC elementary school like I do, you might remember that the DUtch bought Manhattan from the Native Americans for $24. I could wrote a whole page like this about that and what that really meant, but for now I will just ask if you know who was said to have bought Manhattan for the DUtch. If you don't remember (I'm not going to judge you for forgetting something you maybe learned at 8), the answer is a man named Peter Minuit. Minuit was a German man who ended up a New Netherland's director and then Governer.

After a five year reign, Minuit is releaved of his position and heads back to Europe. He had spent all that time attempting to astablish a successful colonly, constantly thwarted by both colonists and Dutch West India Company Directors and even at one point, the English. His unrecognized work was handed off to someone else to continue. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Minuit gives up on the Dutch and starts talking to the Sweedes. His great knowlege of New Netherland makes him perfect for finding a place for a colony where the Dutch won't have the man power to stop them. Thus, New Sweeden is established.

Where is New Sweeden? New Sweeden took up the southern part of New Netherlands. This is where Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania meet, along the mouth of the Delaware river. There were several settlements in the area but the most important location was Fort Christina. The fort is named for the Sweedish monarch, Queen Christina. Insteresting to consider how many colonies were established by countries without kings. Queen Christina is one of my personal favorite Queens, best known for wearing mens clothes. A very inaccurate movie was made about her life starring Greta Garbo. Like Garbo, Christina had relationships with both men and women. Don't worry I'll porbably do a page on her as well.

The population of New Sweeden was made up of Sweedes, Finns and one or two Estonians. The Finnish population played a vital role in advancing the colony and left a very signifigant mark on American Culture with the creation of the log cabin.

Peter Minuit left the colony soon after helping to found it. The colony lasted from 1638-1655 when the New Amsterdamn Governer, Pieter Styvusant, approached with a small army and recaptured the land. The Swedes and Finns were allowed to keep their ways under Dutch rule. In 9 years the Dutch would find themselves in the Sweedes position against the English.