Editing Fort Christina (section)

== Decline and Transfer of Capital ==

The arrival of Johan Printz as governor in 1643 marked a new phase in New Sweden's development—and the beginning of Fort Christina's decline as the colonial capital. Printz recognized that the fort's location left it vulnerable to Dutch competition. The Dutch had established trading posts on the Delaware River before the Swedish arrival and continued to assert claims to the region. From Fort Christina, the Swedes could not effectively monitor or challenge Dutch movements along the river. Printz therefore decided to establish a new capital at [[Tinicum Island]], further up the Delaware within the present boundaries of Pennsylvania, from which he could better control river traffic.<ref name="acrelius">{{cite book |last=Acrelius |first=Israel |title=A History of New Sweden; or, The Settlements on the River Delaware |year=1874 |publisher=Historical Society of Pennsylvania |location=Philadelphia |orig-year=1759}}</ref>

After 1643, Fort Christina remained an important settlement but no longer served as the seat of government. The fort continued to function as a trading post and point of entry for ships arriving from Sweden. Swedish colonists continued to farm the surrounding lands, and the population of the Fort Christina area remained the largest concentration of Swedish settlement in the colony. When the Dutch conquered New Sweden in 1655, Fort Christina was the primary target of their expedition. The garrison's surrender marked the effective end of Swedish colonial government in North America, though Swedish settlers remained on their lands under Dutch and later English rule.<ref name="ward"/>