Crane Hook on the Delaware - NC CHAP

power in Iluropt througl~ the statesmanship allrl militarry pro\\!ess
of King Gostaf Adolf When the king died in llis successful
battle of Liitzen in the Protestant cause the co~~ntry at home was
poor from the war drain of money and men. Througho~~t his
reign, ho\vever, the king had promoted manufacturing and sought
to advance Sweclcn's foreign trade. Especially he had backed the
promotion of the Swedish South Company, a project of William
LJsselinx for world-wide trade, including America." After the
king's death the program of this company proved too costly to
be laiunched. nut the chancellor of Sweden, Count Axel Oxenstierna,
supported the smaller New Sweden Company for achieving
Peter Minuit's project-the foundi~ig of New Sweden in the
Delaware River Valley."
To direct the company the chancellor appointed the Finnish
nobleman, Klas 171eming, who was vice admiral of Sweden's navy.
Peter Spiring. a wealthy Dutch merchant in Swedish service, became
counsellor; Samuel Rlommaert, commercial representative
in Holland. Minuit was appointed commander of the first expedition
which lie and the otller appointees prepared Lith the
help of the chancellor."
This group had to deal with many obstacles and delays before
two ships, the k'ult)/&r h1yckel and the smaller I/ogrl Grip set sail
for American on the last day of December 1637. Dutch investors
including the three in this group supplied half the cost of the
expedition. Recause Sweden had few trained men to spare and
none from her navy had ever crossed the Atlantic, the officers
and most of the sailors were Dutch as were probably the majority
of the soldiers. This first expedition was intended to establish
Sweden's claim by purchase of the land from the Indians
and by building a fort to defend it. No families of settlers were
brought. The ships arrived at "The Rocks" (site of Fort Christina
State Park, Wilmington) about tlie middle of March and on the
twenty-~iintli an Indian deed for the west side of the Delaware
13 Al~nlun