Johan Björnsson Printz (July 20, 1592 – May 3, 1663) was governor from 1643 until 1653 of the Swedish colony of New Sweden on the Delaware River in North America.
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Background
Born in Bottnaryd, Jönköping County, in the province of Småland. The son of a Lutheran pastor, Printz received his early education in Sweden followed in 1618 by theological studies at German universities. He was pressed into military service in about 1620. During the Thirty Years’ War, he initially became a mercenary for Archduke Leopold of Austria, Duke Christian of Brunswick, and King Christian IV of Denmark. Printz entered the Swedish army in 1625 rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel under King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.
New Sweden
In 1642 he was ennobled and appointed to be the first royal governor of New Sweden. He arrived in the colony on 15 February 1643 with two ships, Fama (Fawn) and Svanen (The Swan). Under his rule the Swedish colony initially prospered. He built Fort Nya Elfsborg on the east bank of the Delaware and Fort New Gothenburg on Tinicum Island (to the immediate SW of today's Philadelphia), where he also built his own manor house which he called The Printzhof. It was two stories high, made of hewn logs and fire places of brick imported from Sweden. The manor contained a finished lumber interior made from lumber sent from Sweden, glass windows and lavish draperies.
Printz, who was an energetic and conscientious governor, established harmony with the local Indians. He was a very large man, reputably over 400 pounds, which earned him the nickname "Big Belly," from the native people, the Lenni Lenape tribe. He arranged amicable relations with English settlers, initiated trade connections with the Dutch in New Netherlands, and directed several commercial enterprises within New Sweden.
In time, problems with the surrounding Dutch and English colonies became increasingly severe. Short of supplies from Sweden, Printz was unable to prevent the Dutch and the English from practically monopolizing the beaver fur trade in the area. His main adversary was Peter Stuyvesant, Director General of New Netherlands.
Printz also was an autocratic administrator and his growing quarrels with the settlers led several of them to petition to take their grievances directly to the Swedish government. Printz had the ringleader of the dissident colonists executed, but tensions continued to grow. In the end, Printz found his position impossible and in 1654 he returned to Sweden where he spent the next three years without an official position. In 1658 he was appointed Governor of Jönköping. His son-in-law Johan Papegoja succeeded him as the governor of New Sweden.
Memorials
- Governor Printz Park is located just south of I-95 at the Route 420 in Essington, PA.
- The New Sweden Marker at 2nd Street & Taylor Avenue in Essington, Pennsylvania acknowledges the role of Johan Printz.
- The Printzhof in Essington, Pennsylvania is listed on National Historic Landmark Register Number: 66000661.
- U.S. Route 13 in Delaware Business Route was named Governor Printz Boulevard.
- The site of Printz's Mill on Cobbs Creek in Blue Bell, PA is indicated by a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Marker.
- The Johan Printz Sculpture is in the park Rådhusparken in Jönköping, Sweden.
- The Johan Printz Plaque is in the church yard of Bottnaryd kyrka in Jönköping, Sweden
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Peter Hollander Ridder |
Governor of New Sweden February 1643 - October 1653 |
Succeeded by Johan Papegoja |
Sources
Other Reading
- Johnson, Amandus. Instruction for Johan Printz, Governor of New Sweden, "The First Constitution or Supreme Law of the States of Pennsylvania and Delaware". (translated from the Swedish. Philadelphia: The Swedish Colonial Society, 1930)
- Weslager, C. A. New Sweden on the Delaware: 1638-1655 (Wilmington, DE: The Middle Atlantic Press, 1988).
External links
- Bottnaryd Church (Swedish Link)
- Printzhof, site and remains of the Printzhof
- Governor Printz Park. Essington, PA
- Explore Pennsylvania: Governor Printz Park
- Printz's ( Old Swedes) Mill
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