With Philadelphia set to host America's largest Fourth of July festival and the country midway through marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, many people will be using the occasion to pause and reflect on just how the nation was founded.
Most US citizens are aware that over a 126-year period the Thirteen Colonies were created, spanning from the founding of Virginia in 1607 to the establishment of Georgia in 1733. Most were pioneered by the English, some by the Dutch. But did you know that one of America's least remembered and most overlooked colonies was Swedish in origin?
New Sweden was the smallest, least-populated, and shortest-lived colony in the US. But it helped shape the nation's birth two and a half centuries ago.
In this gallery, we trace the history of America's long-forgotten colony, from its origins in Scandinavia to being honored across American culture. Click on to continue reading.