Celebrate New Sweden Colony
Established in 1638, New Sweden Colony--the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley--brought innovation and friendly trade relations to the New World. Founded primarily by Swedes and Finns from the Swedish Empire, along with some Dutch from the Netherlands, the multicultural nature of the colony expanded in 1639 when Antoni Swart (Black Antony) arrived from the West Indies and settled in New Sweden.
The Swedish ship Kalmar Nyckel dropped anchor at “The Rocks” on the shores of the river that the settlers would name for their queen, Christina. Radiating from the original Fort Christina in present-day Wilmington, Delaware, the colonists formed Swedish settlements as far north as the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania and in Swedesboro and other communities in New Jersey.
In May 2013, Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and Speaker of the Parliament of Finland, Mr. Eero Heinäluoma and his wife, Ms Satu Siitonen-Heinäluoma, visited New Sweden sites in Philadelphia, Chester and Wilmington in honor of the Jubilee 375th Anniversary Celebration. And so, the celebration of New Sweden continues.
The New Sweden Alliance Incorporated (NSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, umbrella organization of Swedish- and Finnish-American heritage groups in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey formed to promote and celebrate the culture, history and contributions of New Sweden in the Delaware Valley and, by extension, throughout the United States.
Officers
Sheila Romine,
President
Tracey Beck
Vice President
Christine O'Brien
Secretary
Thomas J. Conway, IV
Treasurer