Editing Fort Christina (section)

== Role in New Sweden ==

Fort Christina served as the administrative and commercial center of [[New Sweden]] during the colony's early years. Ships arriving from Sweden anchored here, unloading supplies and colonists and taking on cargoes of furs for the return voyage. The fort's location near the fall line of the Delaware River—the point beyond which ocean-going ships could not easily navigate—made it a natural transshipment point for goods moving between the interior and the coast. Swedish traders based at Fort Christina established relationships with Lenape bands throughout the region, acquiring beaver pelts and other valuable furs that justified the expense of maintaining the distant colony.<ref name="johnson"/>

The settlement around Fort Christina grew slowly during the late 1630s and early 1640s. Swedish and Finnish colonists established farms on the surrounding lands, clearing forest and planting European crops alongside indigenous varieties they learned about from the Lenape. The colony's population remained small, probably never exceeding a few hundred people, and suffered from chronic shortages of supplies and skilled workers. Sweden's wars in Europe diverted attention and resources from the colonial enterprise, leaving New Sweden perpetually underfunded and understaffed compared to Dutch and English competitors.<ref name="hoffecker"/>