Commemorative issue Settling of New Sweden 350th anniversary
Settler, two Indians, New Sweden map, Swedish ships Kalmar Hyuckel & Fogel
Founded in 1833 with joint Swedish and Dutch backing, New Sweden was an American colony on the Delaware River in what is now Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Peter Minuit led the first expedition in 1638 and established a settlement at what now is Wilmington, DE. He named the settle Fort Christina in honor of the Queen of Sweden. Within five years the colony had become exclusively a Swedish enterprise, and it came into conflict with neighboring Dutch settlements. Under Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch conquered the area in 1655 and made it part of New Netherland.