In 1638, a Swedish-Dutch company founded a colony at Delaware and named it New Sweden. It was located around the beautiful Delaware River, which flows on the shores between New York and Maryland. There were many prominent names among the members of that colony. Among them are: Claes Fleming and Axel Oxenstierna. It was his plan, or rather the plan of King Gustaf Adolph II to establish a great Swedish-German colony in the New World, where no slavery would be permitted, and where there would be a refuge open for those who were persecuted for their 2christian faith. The land around the Hudson was already occupied by the Dutch-West Indian company, which founded the New Netherland. But the country west of Delaware was not yet occupied, according to a statement by Peder Minuit, who for many years had been governor of New Amsterdam. The Minuit company was, therefore, trusted with the task of arranging for the first arrival of Swedes, who in the fall of 1637 embarked on two ships: "Kalmar Nyckel" and "Gripen," which sailed from Gothenburg. Not until March of the following year did the ships cast their anchors at Delaware. The Swedes landed in a wilderness, but there were inhabitants, Indians of the Minqua tribe, whose hunting grounds stretched out on both sides of the river, and far west out to 3Alleghanien-Indians. Minuit bought from them through contract, a piece of land west of the river, and the territory, with its forests and rivers, was very attractive to the small immigrant group. The first place at the river where they landed they called it "Paradis Udden." At one of the small rivers, which flows into Delaware, about six miles from its mouth, Minuit built a little fort, which, in honor of Sweden's young Queen, was baptized "Fort Christina." On this place, where the oldest Swedish colony was located, Wilmington is now built, and is the largest city in the State of Delaware. Through new purchases from the Indians, the territory was growing rapidly, and included the whole west shore of Delaware from its outlet up to the falls at the present site of Trenton, a stretch approximately twenty Swedish miles.

The young Swedish colony was always on very friendly terms with the Indians, who were treated justly and with honesty. Thanks to this friendship the Swedes soon came to possess the valuable fur market. Beaverskin and tobacco were also good export goods to the Mother country. A real emigrant fever soon started there, and hundreds of Swedish and Finnish immigrants were added to the young colony. The soil gave good harvest, and there was peace with the Indians.

But there came up a danger from another direction. The Dutch, as well as the English, made their claims known that they also had bought precisely that piece of land which the Swedish colonists had bought from the Indians. A controversy occurred between the Swedes and their white enemies, which finally brought the destruction of the Swedish colony.

However, this downfall of the colony was delayed for some time. The Swedish Crown, which now had entered as a partner in the colonial affairs, sent Lieut. Col. Johan Printz, a rough veteran from the Thirty year War, to be governor for New Sweden. He held both the English and the Dutch at a distance. The Dutch built a fort on the east side of the shore they called "Fort Nassau," but Printz built several forts, among them "Elfsborg" and "Nya Korsholm," or where Philadelphia is located now. He also built two factories and forts at Schuylkill, which was the great merchant road to the Indian territory. He also built another fort on an island, three miles above Fort Christina, which he called "Nya Goteborg." There he took up his residence, and called it "Printzenhof". Governor Printz kept rigid discipline in the colony, but he was no diplomat.

Everything went along fine for five years, but then came a new governor to the Dutch, and he started to fight Governor Printz, building a fort beneath Fort Christiana, which he named "Fort Casimir." His name was Peter Stuyvesant. Then a real hardship started for Printz, so much the more as he had not had any help or tidings from the Mother country for six years, because a ship sent from home in 1649, perished during its journey to America. Printz had several times requested to be called home, but he never received any reply. He then left the colony in the fall of 1653 and returned to Sweden, leaving the administration of the colony in the hands of his son-in-law, Papegoja. But another ship had been sent from Sweden with the secretary of Kommerscollegium, Johan Rising, on board. He was a harsh man, and when he sailed into the Delaware, he cast the anchor outside Fort Casimir, and forced the garrison 7to capitulate. The Swedish flag was raised on the fort, and its name was now changed to "Trefaldighets-fastet." This episode became dangerous for the Swedish commonwealth at Delaware. Stuyvesant attacked New Sweden, and forced both Fort Trefaldighet and Fort Christina to capitulate, and the whole Swedish colony was taken. Most of the Swedes stayed, but were now under the supremacy of the Dutch. So ended the Swedish colony after sixteen years of existence, but it continued to live as a little society all by itself.

After the Dutch had ruled for some time, the English came into power. The Swedish-Finnish colonists had now increased in number, and there were about one thousand of them at the end of the sixteenth century. They 8still talked and understood the Swedish language, but one hundred years later, it was almost forced out by the English language. Swedish priests were, therefore, compelled to use English most of the time. We can thank one of them, Johan Companius, for the oldest history of the fate of the Swedish colony which he wrote.

There were three churches built during the Swedish time, one at Nya Goteborg, one on the east side of the river at Racoon, and one at Nya Korsholm, or on the same spot where Gloria Dei Church now stands in Philadelphia. This church is now used for English services by the Episcopal Church, and frequently for Swedish services.

In the wilderness, where Swedes and Finns first put the plow in the soil, 9a blossoming landscape is now spreading out at Delaware, adorned by the work of both men and nature. Three states have part in those places, who, at one time, made up New Sweden: Delaware, where Fort Christina and Fort Casimir were erected; Pennsylvania, where the Swedish flag was flowing from Fort Nya Goteborg and Korsholm; and New Jersey, where Elfsborg stood before.