This gallery takes visitors through the history of New Sweden from the Swedish empire’s colonial vision in 1626 to the impact of William Penn at the end of the 17th century. Themes include contact and trade with Lenape and Susquehannock Indians, leadership and expansion in the colony and personal stories of Swedes and Finns who settled in the Delaware Valley between the years 1638-1700. Visitors can explore the question of why the colony ultimately fell to the Dutch in 1655 and discover the important role of former New Sweden colonists in laying out the city of Philadelphia.
Many of the ASHM's most celebrated artifacts are housed in the New Sweden Gallery.
A bronze statue of New Sweden's Governor Johan Printz (1592 - 1663)