Swedish Pennsylvania almost happened

Back in the old days, America was an uncharted wilderness that was "owned" by no one and everyone. Many of the European countries sent explorers, and most of the explorers claimed everything they ran across for their respective kings and queens. It was quite a mess.

Pennsylvania was no different. In the early 1600s, the big players within our borders were the English, the Dutch and (surprisingly for most people) the Swedes. Of those three, it was the Swedes who established the permanent settlement of Tinicum Island (1643) and then Uppland. Johan Printz was the first governor of what was known as New Sweden.

So the Swedes had the upper hand in Pennsylvania at first, but it was not to last. Swedish rule lasted from about 1643 to 1655, a mere 12 years.

The Dutch wanted the Pennsylvania territories and they already had a strongd base in New Amsterdam. It was a small matter for them to flex their military muscles and force the Swedes out.

So the Dutch became masters of the area, but they also ruled for just a short time (1655-1664)

Eventually, the military might of the English would vanquish the Dutch, and that meant that the Pennsylvania lands were under British rule from 1664 forward.

The British rule was not to last either.

Less than twenty years later, 1681, William Penn was granted full rights to Pennsylvania. At that point, the lands have always been ruled by some sort of American government. There were wars, and there were squabbles between the states, but there was always a home government.

We could have been Swedish.

We could have been Dutch.

We could have been English.

But in the end, we became Pennsylvanians.