Late 17th-Century Demographic and Settlement Patterns Among Swedish Families in the Delaware Valley

Summary

Following Holland's takeover of the New Sweden colony in 1655, the Swedish communities along the Delaware River continued to grow and spread. A database of individuals and families based on historical and genealogical data opens a window on the demographics of the 17th-century Swedish settlements. The 1671 and 1693 Censuses of the Swedes on the Delaware list the names of each listed head of household who was a member of one of the Swedish Lutheran churches. Genealogists, particularly the late Peter Stebbins Craig, have identified the family members of these households along with other particulars, including the names of the communities where they lived. These data allow for an exploration of second generation Swedish family structure, intermarriage and settlement patterns. Combining this genealogical research with GIS data show the dispersal of Swedish settlers along the Delaware River and their integration with surrounding English, Dutch, and German communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Nodes and Modes of Connectivity: Old and New World Studies on Frontiers and Borderlands   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 336