remaining pockets of Atlantic settlements made earlier by the Dutch, Swedes, Danes and French. Charles II saw the Atlantic colonies as a source of trade and commerce, supported development, and granted several more charters for settlement (including one to William Penn
in 1681). All of the British colonies thrived as a result.

1664. Sir Robert Carr successfully drove the Dutch off the Delaware and claimed the land for James, Duke of York. Delaware then became an English colony for the first time.

1673. Dutch military forces took back New York and Delaware from the British.

1674. The British took back control of the Delaware colony.

1674. The Treaty of Westminster ended hostilities between the English and Dutch and officially returned all Dutch colonies in America to the English. This ended the Dutch presencein North America – but many of the Dutch settlements continued under British rule, particularly along the Hudson River, the Delaware river, East Jersey, and the Connecticut River.

1676 New York Royal Grant. Charles II granted to his brother, James, the Duke of York, the following: “…main land between the two rivers there, called or known by the several names of Conecticut or Hudsons river… and all the lands from the west side of Conecticut, to the east side of Delaware Bay.”

1681 Pennsylvania. William Penn was granted land in North America by Charles II and established the proprietary colony of Pennsylvania. The land grant was mostly from lands previously part of the Virginia Company of London’s grant of 1606. He arrived in October 1682 on the ship Welcome, visited