New Sweden Colony (1638)

Nya Sverige (New Sweden) was the name of the colony founded in North America by the Swedish Kingdom in 1638. The colony was located in today’s states of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. By the middle of the 1600’s, the Realm of Sweden had reached its greatest territorial extent and was one of the great powers of Europe. In Swedish this period is known as: ’’Stormaktstiden’’ - the era of great power. During this time, an attempt to build a colony was set in motion by the daughter of Gustavus Adolphus