Fort Christina (Wilmington, Delaware)
Wilmington · Delaware · Swedish Colonial Period
History & Significance
Following plans by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden to establish a Swedish colony in North America, the Swedes arrived in Delaware Bay on March 29, 1638, aboard the ships Kalmar Nyckel and Fogel Grip under the command of Peter Minuit. They landed at a stone outcropping which formed a natural wharf, known as "The Rocks."
Minuit selected the site on the Christina River near the Delaware as being optimal for trade in beaver pelts with the local Lenape. He ordered the construction of an earthwork fort around the Rocks.
The fort's earthworks were strengthened in 1640 by Governor Peter Hollander Ridder to help defend against the possibility of Dutch or Native American attacks. The fort was rebuilt entirely in 1647.
In 1651, the Dutch under Peter Stuyvesant established Fort Casimir at present-day New Castle, only 7 miles south of Fort Christina, in order to menace the Swedish settlement. In 1654, the Swedes captured Fort Casimir under the orders of Governor Johan Risingh.
Risingh, fearing reprisals, strengthened the defenses of Fort Christina by adding a wooden palisade around the earthworks. In 1655, the Dutch under Stuyvesant returned in force and laid siege to Fort Christina.
The fort's surrender after ten days ended the official Swedish colonial presence in North America, though most of the colonists remained. Stuyvesant renamed Fort Christina as Fort Altena.
The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961. In 2014, the First State National Historical Park was authorized to potentially include Fort Christina; it now is part of the site.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- First Swedish settlement in North America, established 1638
- Historic site at confluence of Brandywine and Christina Rivers
- National Historic Landmark honoring New Sweden colony
- Exhibits on 17th-century Swedish colonization of Delaware
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Christina
- http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=160&ResourceType=Site
- https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-christina.htm
- https://history.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/179/2019/01/historyFortChristina.pdf
- https://archives.delaware.gov/delaware-historical-markers/fort-christina/