Book Description

Opportunity Valley portrayed the Delaware River valley before 1800 as the most successful seaport of North America, the natural capital for an emerging independent nation, a world-famous haven for flocks of religious refugees and dissenters, and a well-advertised gateway to land ownership. Why write a colonial history of this valley? Don't we already have plenty of colonial histories of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York? We need an early history of the Delaware River's vast valley because such a watershed naturally functions as a unity and because what happened here from 1600 to 1800 was of major importance to the future of this nation and the entire world. The energetic people of this valley developed a world-class seaport. They created a peaceful and cooperative home for diverse peoples. They formed a cradle for the growth of the young United States. They took on the role of a leader in abolishing slavery. They built a center for education, culture and gracious living second only to London. As readers would expect, key areas of the valley are singled out as chapters for detailed exploration: Dutch beginnings, the Swedish colony, West Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware's lower counties and New York's headwater counties. Also, as a surprise to some readers, the Connecticut colony on the upper Delaware River has a chapter. Four topics of regional importance also provide chapters: (1) a new nation evolves, (2) Benjamin Franklin's contribution, (3) the valley's campaign against keeping slaves, and (4)the valley as an outstanding center for American culture. The chapter presenting the evolution of the new nation distinguished between 120 cradle years when peace and collaboration dominated and 80 crucible years resulting from 15 years of actual war and 65 years of the serious threat of war. The actual war years were: (1) the New Sweden and New Amsterdam War, two weeks during 1655;(2) the Seven Years War (French and Indian War), from 1754 to 1763, and (3)the War for American Independence, from 1775 to 1783. Benjamin Franklin was portrayed as a dominant figure throughout the eighteenth century in regional, national and international events. His businesses, inventions, achievements and contributions were presented in the format of the decades of his life, mostly lived in the Delaware Valley. The chapter on the valley's campaign against slavery focused on the Quaker leadership in awakening consciences. The contributions of John Woolman, the abolition societies and colonial and state assemblies were emphasized. The valley's connection with British abolitionists bore fruit in 1807 when the British Parliament abolished the slave trade. The development of the Delaware Valley as a center for culture and learning could be expected to deal with education, architecture, science, medicine, publishing, libraries and the arts. The chapter also gives attention to agriculture, gender equality and opposing cruelty to animals. The valley's cultural achievement was understood to benefit not only from gifted leadership and generous philanthropy but also from a prosperous economy, a favorable natural environment and a receptive public. The final chapter deals with the valley's people working together in fostering major achievements. Examples of such cooperation include island jurisdiction decisions, and settling disputes about shipwrecks, fisheries, ferries and bridges. The greatest contribution of the Delaware Valley to the nation and the world was seen to be the egalitarian view of freedom flourishing here, especially influential in forming a democratic national government and, eventually, in freeing the slaves. This book is alive with appropriate maps and illustrations. One of the most interesting is a number of pages from a standard artillery manual published in 1780 and official in the armies of France, England, Germany and our new