OUR HISTORY

New Sweden Colony--the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley--brought innovation and friendly trade relations to the New World. Founded in 1638, primarily by Swedes and Finns from the Swedish Empire, along with some Dutch from the Netherlands, New Sweden expanded its multicultural nature in 1639 when Antoni Swart (Black Antony) arrived from the West Indies and settled there.

In the spring of 1638, the Swedish ship Kalmar Nyckel dropped anchor at “The Rocks,” along the shores of a river the settlers would christen for their young queen, Christina. From the small but sturdy stronghold of Fort Christina—on the site of present-day Wilmington, Delaware—Swedish settlements radiated north to the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania and across the Delaware River into Swedesboro and other New Jersey communities.

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Unique among the colonies of the era, settlers of New Sweden Colony established and maintained good relations with the natives in the area, showing friendliness and respect for their neighbors and fur trading partners. Although the colony joined with New Amsterdam in 1655, one of its lasting contributions to the landscape was the log cabin building technique that became the icon of the American frontier. 

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Organizations that recognize and celebrate the history of New Sweden Colony have sprung up throughout the Delaware Valley, each with its own mission and focus. New Sweden Alliance Incorporated serves as an umbrella organization of Swedish- and Finnish-American heritage groups in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, aimed at promoting the culture, history, and contributions of New Sweden in the Delaware Valley and, by extension, throughout the United States.