<P> Delaware changed hands between the Dutch and Swedes between 1631 and 1655 . The Dutch maintained control of Delaware until 1664, when Sir Robert Carr took New Amstel for the Duke of York, renaming it New Castle . A Deputy of the Duke governed Delaware from 1664 to 1682 . When William Penn received his land grant of Pennsylvania in 1681, he received the Delaware area from the Duke of York, and dubbed them "The Three Lower Counties on the Delaware River". In 1701, after he had troubles governing the ethnically diverse Delaware territory, Penn agreed to allow them a separate colonial assembly . </P> <P> The partly unglaciated Middle Colonies enjoyed fertile soil vastly different from the nearby New England Colonies, which contained more rocky soil . Because of the large grain exports resulting from this soil, the colonies came to be known as the Bread Basket Colonies . Pennsylvania became a leading exporter of wheat, corn, rye, hemp, and flax, making it the leading food producer in the colonies, and later states, between the years of 1725 and 1840 . Broad navigable rivers of relaxed current like the Susquehanna River, the Delaware River, and the Hudson River attracted diverse business . Fur trappers moved along these rivers, and there was enough flow to enable milling with water wheel power . </P> <P> Abundant forests attracted both the lumbering and shipbuilding industries to the Middle Colonies . These industries, along with the presence of deep river estuaries, led to the appearance of important ports like New York and Philadelphia . While the Middle Colonies had far more industry than the Southern Colonies, it still did not rival the industry of New England . In Pennsylvania, sawmills and gristmills were abundant, and the textile industry grew quickly . The colony also became a major producer of pig iron and its products, including the Pennsylvania long rifle and the Conestoga wagon . Other important industries included printing, publishing, and the related industry of papermaking . </P> <P> The Middle Colonies' political groups began as small groups with narrowly focused goals . These coalitions eventually grew into diverse and large political organizations, evolving especially during the French and Indian War . </P>

The major export from the middle colonies was