Who were the first settlers in New Amsterdam?
1624—The first Dutch settlers arrive on the Noten Eylant (now Governor’s Island) 1625—The Dutch begin settlement of the Island of Manhattan and name it New Amsterdam 1643—Augustine Herman arrives in New Amsterdam as agent of Peter Gabry & Sons Co. 1647—Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam as the new Director General of the colony
How did the Dutch colonize New York?
In 1625, the Dutch began construction on the citadel of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, which was called New Amsterdam at the time. During this period a mysterious story appeared. According to a letter signed by Pieter Janszoon Schagen, the Dutch colonists acquired Manhattan officially on May 24, 1626.
When did the Dutch West India Company move to Manhattan Island?
In 1624, 30 families were sponsored by Dutch West India Company moving from Nut Island to Manhattan Island, where a citadel to contain Fort Amsterdam was being laid out by Cryn Frederickz van Lobbrecht at the direction of Willem Verhulst.
When did the English take over New Amsterdam from the Dutch?
A painting of New Amsterdam (later New York) from 1664, the year the English took possession from the Dutch. By Johannes Vingboons.
What did the Dutch call their new colony?
New NetherlandNew Netherland was the first Dutch colony in North America. It extended from Albany, New York, in the north to Delaware in the south and encompassed parts of what are now the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware.
When did the Dutch settle Manhattan?
New Netherland goes back a long way. The Dutch traded along the Hudson River as early as 1611 and established Fort Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan island in 1625. Four decades later, New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, had grown into a lively port of 1,500.
Was Manhattan a Dutch colony?
Between 1626 and 1664, the main town of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was New Amsterdam, now called Manhattan. The Dutch established colonies and trading outposts around the world in the early 17th century.
Who led the Dutch settlement on today's Manhattan?
Peter Minuit of the Dutch West India Company, who was in charge from 1626, decided to buy Manhattan Island from a group of local Indians for goods worth 60 Dutch guilders, which later legend valued at US$24.
What did the Dutch name Manhattan island?
A successful Dutch settlement in the colony grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and was christened New Amsterdam. To legitimatize Dutch claims to New Amsterdam, Dutch governor Peter Minuit formally purchased Manhattan from the local tribe from which it derives it name in 1626.
Who were the first Dutch settlers in New York?
Led by English explorer Henry Hudson, the Dutch first arrived in the land now known as New York City in 1609. The Dutch colony of New Netherland was established in 1614, and New Amsterdam became its capital city several years later.
Why did the Dutch settle New York?
In 1621, the Dutch West India Company was founded to manage trade in North America and secure beaver pelts and sweet anal glands. The mouth of the Hudson River provided the ideal strategic outpost to establish trade and protect the area. As such, Fort Amsterdam was built in 1624.
Who were the first Dutch settlers in America?
The Dutch first arrived in America in 1609 when the Dutch East India Company vessel De Halve Maen, commanded by the English captain, Henry Hudson, laid anchor at Sandy Hook, before sailing up what is now known as the Hudson River. In 1614 Dutch merchants established a trading post at Fort Orange.
Who settled Manhattan island first?
The DutchThe Dutch first settled along the Hudson River in 1624; two years later they established the colony of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. In 1664, the English took control of the area and renamed it New York.
Who sold Manhattan to the Dutch in 1626?
This letter from Peter Schaghen, written in 1626, makes the earliest known reference to the company's purchase of Manhattan Island from the Lenape Indians for 60 guilders. Schaghen was the liaison between the Dutch government and the Dutch West India Company.
Who took New York from the Dutch?
the BritishJamestown Colony Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam to the British, September 8, 1664. 5.
When did the Dutch come to New York City?
Dutch people have had a continuous presence in New York City for nearly 400 years, being the earliest European settlers. New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded on the southern tip of Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists in 1624.
When did the Dutch come to New York City?
Dutch people have had a continuous presence in New York City for nearly 400 years, being the earliest European settlers. New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded on the southern tip of Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists in 1624.
Did the Dutch really buy Manhattan for $24?
The colonial era is full of subversive deal-making, but the world's most notorious real estate coup occurred in 1626, when the energetic Dutch settler Peter Minuit, as an agent for the West India Company, purchased the unimproved woodland “island Manhattes,” covering 15,000 acres, for 60 guilders worth of goods (around ...
How did the Dutch lose Manhattan?
The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Breda, leaving Manhattan under English rule. In exchange, England conceded to the Dutch the South Pacific Island of Run.
Who settled Manhattan island first?
The DutchThe Dutch first settled along the Hudson River in 1624; two years later they established the colony of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. In 1664, the English took control of the area and renamed it New York.
Who was the first European to land on the island of Manhattan?
The first European who landed on the island of Manhattan was the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. He was sailing in the service of the king of France and arrived to the current location of New York in 1524.
What tribes lived in Manhattan?
The area of Manhattan first belonged to the Native American tribe Lenape. This tribe is known also as the Delaware Indians, and they created the First Nations band government. Their territory included the area of New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, the Delaware River, and western Long Island.
What language do people speak in Manhattan?
Nowadays, the history of the first people in Manhattan is covered by monumental buildings. Nobody there speaks in the native language of the Lenape and relatively few in Dutch. In July 2010, a group of construction workers who worked on the site of the World Trade Center discovered one of the oldest and the most precious artifacts connected with the early history of the island.
Why was New Angouleme named after Francis I?
This was a way to honor the King Francis I, because the name referred to his family name. Verrazano also named the Upper New York Bay as Marguerite de Navarre – the name of the elder sister of the king.
What was the Dutch expedition that took place in 1630?
In the 1630s, a Dutch expedition went from New Amsterdam up the Connecticut River. That started a conflict between the Dutch and the English, who were already in Connecticut Valley. The Castello Plan showing the Dutch colonial city of New Amsterdam in 1660 – then confined to the southern tip of Manhattan Island.
What was Hudson looking for in New York?
Hudson found the area of modern New York while looking for a western route to Asia. He was hired by a company, which was a chartered company that existed from 1602 to 1799 and is considered as the first multinational corporation of the world. They possessed quasi-governmental powers like the ability to wage war, negotiate treaties, establish colonies, imprison and execute people, and strike their own coins. The power of the company grew on the decision of the Dutch government, which granted it a 21-year monopoly on the spice trade. The Dutch East India Company was looking for new routes to make travel time shorter and their business more effective. The first Dutch settlements were just small camps, based on very primitive buildings.
What is Manhattan's history?
Modern Manhattan's history is related to people who conquered many colonies – the Dutch. Nowadays, the island has a population of 1,626 million people (2013). It is the heart of New York City, and a symbol of the USA. Its name comes from the Algonquian language, which was spoken by the earliest inhabitants of the area.
Etymology
The indigenous Munsee term for the southern tip of the island was Manhattoe, and variations of this name were also applied to the first Dutch settlement there. With the construction of Fort Amsterdam, the town also became variously known as "Amsterdam" or "New Amsterdam".
History
The Rigging House, 120 William St., in 1846; the last remaining building of Dutch New Amsterdam, it was a Methodist church in the 1760s, then a secular building again before its destruction in the mid-19th century.
Cartography
The beginnings of New Amsterdam, unlike most other colonies in the New World, were thoroughly documented in city maps. During the time of New Netherland's colonization, the Dutch were the pre-eminent cartographers in Europe.
Legacy
The 1954 unveiling of a stained-glass depiction of Peter Stuyvesant in Butler Library at Columbia University.
Further reading
Burrows, Edwin G., and Mike Wallace. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (2000) excerpt and text search
What was New Amsterdam named after?
Because of the history of Dutch colonization, Dutch culture, politics, law, architecture, and language played a formative role in shaping the culture of the city.
How long have Dutch people lived in New York?
Dutch people have had a continuous presence in New York City for nearly 400 years, being the earliest European settlers. New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded on the southern tip of Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists in 1624. The settlement was named New Amsterdam ( Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653. Because of the history of Dutch colonization, Dutch culture, politics, law, architecture, and language played a formative role in shaping the culture of the city. The Dutch were the majority in New York City until the early 1700s and the Dutch language was commonly spoken until the mid to late-1700s. Many places and institutions in New York City still bear a colonial Dutch toponymy, including Brooklyn ( Breukelen ), Harlem ( Haarlem ), Wall Street ( Waal Straat ), The Bowery ( bouwerij (“farm”), and Coney Island ( conyne ).
Where is the Dutch room in New York?
The New York Dutch Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art features historical artifacts from Dutch homes in New York. The African American Pinkster Committee of New York (AAPCNY) along with the African Burial Ground National Monument hold an annual pinkster celebration in New York City.
When was the Ansche Chesed Synagogue founded?
The Ansche Chesed synagogue on the Upper West Side was founded in 1828 by a group of Dutch, German, and Polish Jews who split off from Congregation B'nai Jeshurun.
What were the forests of Manhates cleared by the Dutch?
To supply large, sturdy masts for the Dutch Navy and merchant ships, such as the West India Company, as well as materials for building homes, the extensive Oak, Pine and nut grove forests of Manhates were steadily cleared by Dutch settlers and the slaves of the West India Company.
Where were the slaves in New Amsterdam?
The slaves of the West India Company were quartered as early as 1626 at the mouth of the Saw-kill, their lodgings bordered by the smaller northern creek and the Wiechquaesgecks Trail. Historians believe the slaves living at Saw-kill were the primary workers of the mill (Stokes 1998: vol. 6, 132). After cutting down trees in the forests, the slaves would use the mill to help saw logs, which would then be placed in the Saw-kill. These logs would float downstream and be transported by ship to the settlement of New Amsterdam or across the Atlantic to the Netherlands. As of 1639, however, the Manatus Map still referred to the Saw-kill as the “the quarter of the blacks, the company’s slaves.” It is undoubted that the labor of slaves at the Saw-kill and other locations across Manhates led to the development of New Amsterdam.
What did the Dutch use to access the forest?
In the coming years, the Dutch would utilize watercourses, like the Saw-kill, to access and process the forest’s major product: timber. Though the date of its assemblage is unknown, it is possible that the Dutch colony of New Netherland established one of Manhattan’s earliest sawmills upon the Saw-kill.
What did the Dutch think of Manhates?
From the earliest days of the colony, the Dutch praised the dense groves of the island, unaware of their indebtedness to their Lenape neighbors, and speculated about the marketability of Manhates ’ timber in the Netherlands. Yet, to the dismay of the Dutch, the ecology of Manhates proved to be an impediment both for enhancing settlement and establishing a timber trade on the island. Settlers such as the Revered Jonas Michaelus, in August 1628, declared his fervent belief that Manhates, not the Northern Dutch settlement of Fort Orange, should be established as the stronghold and center of New Netherland. He conceded, however, that realizing the island’s potential would be difficult due to the multitude of thick shrubs and trees, which made the clearing of land for settlement and cultivation exceedingly strenuous. But if Manhates was to become the center of Dutch New Netherland, it was imperative that the forests be cleared, allowing for the building of homes and other structures for the necessary growth of population and a competitive advantage for the Dutch timber trade.
When did slaves first come to Manhates?
Slavery was a contested practice in 17th century Netherlands. While it is possible slavery always existed at some intensity on Manhates the first instance of slaves on the island is recorded as approximately 1625 or 1626 when the Company imported eleven men, “among them Paulo d’Angola, Simon Congo, Anthrony Portuguese, and John Francisco” followed in 1628 by three women from Angola to Manhates (1999: 31). An overseer, named Jacob Stoffelsen, was officially hired in 1635 to care for the “negroes belonging to the Company” (1999: 32). Furthermore, the slave population would most certainly have included Native Americans, in addition to “captured Spanish or Portuguese sailors,” creating a diverse slave community that mirrored the hodgepodge of nationalities living as freemen alongside them (1999: 32). Slaves, while retaining the right to own property, marry, bear arms, attend religious services, observe holidays, and remaining subject to the same legal procedures and laws as other New Netherland colonists were nonetheless hardly treated equally (1999: 32). Men typically were employed for arduous tasks, most often performing repairs to New Amsterdam and cutting wood (1999: 32).
How many people live on Manhattan Island?
It is hard to imagine Manhattan Island without skyscrapers, traffic, and nearly two million people living upon it. It is equally as difficult to believe that this great metropolis was previously covered in forests, with vast streams crisscrossing the hilly granite terrain.
What led to the development of New Amsterdam?
It is undoubted that the labor of slaves at the Saw-kill and other locations across Manhates led to the development of New Amsterdam. Mills. In the late 17th century, the Saw-kill remained an important mill as evidenced by the construction of two roads connecting the mill both to New Amsterdam and New Harlem.
What year did the Dutch settle New Amsterdam?
1625 —The Dutch begin settlement of the Island of Manhattan and name it New Amsterdam. 1643—Augustine Herman arrives in New Amsterdam as agent of Peter Gabry & Sons Co. 1647—Peter Stuyvesant arrives in New Amsterdam as the new Director General of the colony. 1651—Herman purchases land at the Raritan River for Cornelis van Werkhoven.
Who purchased the land on Long Island?
On November 22, 1652, Augustine Herman purchased “two tracts on Long Island” for van Werckhoven; the first was located between the settlements of Brooklyn, Amersfort, and Gravesend, which made up the original settlement lands of New Utrecht, and the second parcel was called Nyack or Najeck, which would become the Village of Fort Hamilton, to be encompassed by New Utrecht at a later time. O’Callaghan listed the following items as payments to the native inhabitants of these lands:
What happened in 1660?
1660— (February 6) New Utrecht settlers refuse to cut trees in order to build palisades; (February 23) Seven slaves are brought to New Utrecht to clear the forest and build palisades. 1693—Jacques Cortelyou dies at his home on Nyack; his properties include two slaves.
How many slaves were there in New Utrecht?
In the early period of New Utrecht’s history, slaves, who were essential in the success of the colony, were only recorded as mere numbers. Accounts about slaves in the first decades of the settlement dealt with primarily how many of them there were, their age and gender, and who owned them. When Cortelyou died in 1693, an inventory of his estate included two slaves. In 1698, there were a total of 48 slaves in New Utrecht, five of whom belonged to the Cortelyou family members. Later on, description of slaves included their names, details of their activities, and even traces of their roots through marriages and children, but these will be part of our future stories.
Where did Cortelyou settle in 1656?
1655—Cornelis van Werkhoven dies in Utrecht, the Netherlands. 1656— (spring) Jacques Cortelyou settles in Nyack tract on Long Island (modern Fort Hamilton); (fall) Cortelyou possibly uses slave labor on his farm at Nyack.
How many slaves were there in 1698?
In 1698, there were a total of 48 slaves in New Utrecht, five of whom belonged to the Cortelyou family members. Later on, description of slaves included their names, details of their activities, and even traces of their roots through marriages and children, but these will be part of our future stories.
Why did the colonists fence their land?
Moreover, the patentees were also to fence the entirety of their property, so as to prevent their animals from leaving the grounds and trespassing on and damaging their neighbors’ property. Another reason for fencing one’s property was for defensive purposes. Anyone failing to build, plant, and fence on their properties risked forfeiting their rights to the land.
Which European country tried to colonize New York?
And, despite their status as a newly independent state, the Netherlands proved no exception as they went on to colonize a part of modern-day America that includes New York. Jordan Baker explains.
What was the Dutch Empire based on?
Unlike other European powers of the day, however, the Dutch Empire was based on trade rather than the acquisition of mass amounts of territory. Though Henry Hudson explored the area that became New Netherland in 1609, during the first few decades of the seventeenth-century the Dutch focused more on the Asian and African sections of their empire, capturing valuable trading ports from the Portuguese. This changed in 1621 when the Dutch Republic granted the West India Company (WIC) a charter and 24 year trading monopoly as a way to both take advantage of North American trade and challenge Spanish hegemony in the Atlantic.
When did the Netherlands become independent?
Beginning in 1568, however, the Dutch revolted, beginning the conflict known as both the Eighty Years’ War and the Dutch Revolt. Though the Dutch did not gain de jure independence from Spain until 1648, they secured de facto independence in 1581.
When was New Amsterdam painted?
A painting of New Amsterdam (later New York) from 1664, the year the English took possession from the Dutch. By Johannes Vingboons.
Did the Patroonship model help increase the number of Europeans immigrating to New Netherland?
While the Patroonship model for colonization did help increase the numbers of Europeans immigrating to New Netherland, most of the people making the journey weren’t Dutch. Many colonists in New Netherland were actually Walloons - French speakers from what is now southern Belgium. In fact, colonists from Wallonia became the first permanent settlers in New Netherland.
Overview
History
In 1524, nearly a century before the arrival of the Dutch, the site that would later become New Amsterdam was named Nouvelle Angoulême by the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, to commemorate his patron King Francis I of France, who family were also Counts of Angoulême. The first recorded exploration by the Dutch of the area around what is now called New York Bay was in 1609 wit…
Etymology
The indigenous Munsee term for the southern tip of the island was Manhattoe, and variations of this name were also applied to the first Dutch settlement there. With the construction of Fort Amsterdam, the town also became variously known as "Amsterdam" or "New Amsterdam". New Amsterdam's city limits did not extend north of the wall of Wall Street, and neither the remainder of the island of Manhattan nor of wider New Netherland fell under its definition.
Cartography
The beginnings of New Amsterdam, unlike most other colonies in the New World, were thoroughly documented in city maps. During the time of New Netherland's colonization, the Dutch were the pre-eminent cartographers in Europe. The delegated authority of the Dutch West India Company over New Netherland required maintaining sovereignty on behalf of the States General, g…
Legacy
The 1625 date of the founding of New Amsterdam is now commemorated in the official Seal of New York City. (Formerly, the year on the seal was 1664, the year of the provisional Articles of Transfer, assuring New Netherlanders that they "shall keep and enjoy the liberty of their consciences in religion", negotiated with the English by Peter Stuyvesant and his council.)
See also
• Jacobus van de Water
Notes
1. ^ "The Colony of New Netherland", 2009, by Jaap Jacobs, page 32.
2. ^ Park, Kingston Ubarn Cultural. "Dutch Colonization". nps.gov.
3. ^ Rankin, Rebecca B., Cleveland Rodgers (1948). New York: the World's Capital City, Its Development and Contributions to Progress. Harper.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Further reading
• Burrows, Edwin G., and Mike Wallace. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (2000) excerpt and text search
• Goodfriend, Joyce D.; et al., eds. (2008). Going Dutch: The Dutch Presence in America, 1609–2009.
• Jacobs, Jaap. The Colony of New Netherland: A Dutch Settlement in Seventeenth-Century America (2009) excerpt and text search
Overview
Dutch people have had a continuous presence in New York City for nearly 400 years, being the earliest European settlers. New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded on the southern tip of Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists in 1624. The settlement was named New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653. Because of the history of Dutch colonization, Dutch culture, politics, law, architecture, and language played …
Culture
The New York Dutch Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art features historical artifacts from Dutch homes in New York.
The African American Pinkster Committee of New York (AAPCNY) along with the African Burial Ground National Monument hold an annual pinkster celebration in New York City. Originally a Dutch Christian holiday celebrating P…
Institutions and landmarks
The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York is a charitable organization whose membership is composed of men who are descended from New York's early inhabitants, many of whom can trace their ancestry back to the earliest colonial Dutch settlers.
The Wyckoff House, an historic house in Brooklyn's Canarsie neighborhood, is the oldest surviving example of Dutch frame architecture in the United States, dating to 1652.
Religion
List of former Dutch Reformed churches in New York City:
• Brighton Heights Reformed Church
• Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church
• Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church Complex
Notable New Yorkers of Dutch descent
• Ace Frehley, a musician best known as the original lead guitarist and co-founding member of the American rock band Kiss.
• Augustus Newbold Morris, a prominent figure during the Gilded Age in New York City.
• Gouverneur Morris, a Founding Father of the United States and signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.
See also
• New Netherlands
External links
• Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York