1609 - 1909
TH E DUTCH I N
N E W N E T H E R LA N D
A N D
T H E UN I T E D S T A T E S
PRESENTED BY
T he N etherlan d Cha mb er of Comm erce
in A m erica ON OCCASION o r:
The H udson -Fulton Celeb ration
in N ew Yo rk
S EPTEMB ER 25TH TO OCTOBER 9 TH ’ N ze uw N ader l a n t i s een seer sc/zoo n agn ge n d e m geso n t en l ustig/z l em me/z ap d eter iz el voo r a l der l ey s l ag/z va n m em e/zen be ’ l er e n r ug/m ar d en a e kost of gem ac/ce lyck er d o or d e wer e]! !e ger a ken i s a l s i n N e ' ' ' der l a n t ofife ee n ige a n d er e qu a r tzer e n des n beke n l me r el l s my .
A d r i a en va n d r D n ck e o ,
Co p yr ighted T H E N ET H ERL A N D C H A M B ER OF COM M ER CE I N A M E RI CA 1909 CON TEN TS
Directors o f the Chamber Constitution o f the Chamb er Contract wi th Henry Hudson ( Or igi n al text) Contract wi th Henry Hudson ( E n glis h T r a n s l a tio n ) The Dutch in New Netherland and The United States
N EW N E T H E R LA N D
Exploration o f the Hudson in 1609 Fur traders 1 609 16 12 Block ’s exploration of Long Island Sound and form ation o f the United New Nether land Company o f o 1621 Chartering the West India C . in First settlers arrived u nder leadership o f Jesse de Forest Claims o f Holland and E n gland a M a C C ptain y , first head of the olony
Pieter Minuit , first Governor Erection of P ort Amsterdam Patroons and the A ct of Pri vileges and E xemptions Settlement of R e n s s el a er wyk Wo ut e r o a n d van Twiller , second G vernor arrival of the first garrison Origi n of Governor ’s Island Troubles with the English 1n Connecticut Governor Kieft and the Indian War s ’ Bronk s Treaty Pieter S t uyve s a n t appointedGov ernor Religious intoleran ce o f the Governor The patroons and the Governor The capture o f New Sweden Fall o f New Netherland Anton van Ko r l a e r and Spuyten D uyvel Recapture by the Dutch New N eth er l a n d exchanged for Su rinam The Dutch and English people and r epr e s en tati ve Government Religious freedom and Public Schools The Church and the Dutch Domi nes CON TEN TS (Continued)
The D emocr atic Dutch Troubles o f the hou sewiv es The remaining years o f Stuyvesant The Dutch under English rule
King James II . dethron ed The Jacob Leisler episode Leisler and his son -i n -law executed Destruction of Schenectady Capta in Kidd Mutual friendship of th e Du tch and English people The Dutch during the Revolutionary War Support fro m Holland The Dutch langu age ceases to be spoken in A merica Th e Dutch Refor med Church
T H E UN ITE D STATES
Hol land Land Co mpany Em igration u n der the rul e of
King William I . Settlers in Iowa un d er Dom ine S ch o l te Michigan and Chicago Fruit growers in California
Paterson , N . J .
Sayv ille , L . I .
Philadelphia , Pa . Extradition treaty made in 1 872 Holland America Lin e West India Mail Holland newspapers in A merica Conditions in New York City Professionals as emigrants E en d r ach t M aa k t Macht Th e N eth er l a n d Chamb er o f Comm erce in America The N etherland Club of America Th e N etherland Benevolent Society o f New York Our Consul - Gen eral Advice to newcom ers E im tors 0 t t e fi etberlanh Chamber of Comm une
' i n gm mta
ib onor ar p fi resib ent R O J H . D R . J . L UDON
o f . . Minister The Netherlands at Washington , D C
fi nnor ar y Viw fi r z sibent A N R . P N T J . L E Consul - General Of The Netherlands at N e w York
war m Cxpir es in 1 9 10 CORN ELIUS VANDERBILT GR I D A N T . E US
war m e xpires i n 19 1 1 O O O COL . J HN JAC B AST R VA N w . BAYARD RENSSELAER
D G . O . B ISSEVAIN N F JOH . PRAEGER
G erm (Expires i n 1 9 12 STUYVESANT FISH
W . C . HOUSTON
A . GIPS
J . SCHIMMEL
chi mera
fi resihent O D . G . B ISSEVAIN
E itv fi r wtbm t STUYVESANT FISH
éet r etaryflr easur er
T . GREIDANUS
Counsel I FF O . . . . P N C S A L , LL D
5 t ommittee on Zlmport an!) e xpor t (I r at e
F OR T H E YE AR 1909 - 19 10
ex -o fci o D . G . B OISSEVAIN , fl
’ GR I DA N U ex -o cz o T . E S , fi Z N H . BRUGMAN J . E . D U B OUR C LOU IS I . Q B J . H . UYS A D A . C . H . NYL N
Q ubit £0 mmtttee
FOR T H E YE AR 1909 - 19 10
D U B R L OUIS I . OU CQ F G RED . C . OLDSMITH
Committee on fi ominationa
FOR T H E YE AR 1909 -191 0
B . HENDRIKS VLI E R B OOM M T H . J . VON HE ER
E anfier fi TH E COA L AND IRON NA T IONAL BAN K
De co r r espo n d en ti e met d e Kamer kan in het r d Hollandsch worden gevo e . Constitution
of
fi etberl anh Chamber of (Ill umina te
in gmer ita
o f Incorporated under the laws the State Of New York , 0 28 19 3 . May ,
ARTICLE I .
fi ame
This Society shall b e called T H E NET HE RLA N D ” M B F M M C I N M IC CHA E R O CO E R E A E R A .
TIC AR LE I I .
O bjett
Th e N e th e r l a n d Ch a m b e r o f Co m m e rc e i n A m e r ” i c a i s fo u n d e d t o r e p re s e n t a n d f o s te r i n th e U n ite d
S t a te s h e n e e s ts h m m e e n d u s r t i t r o f t e c o rc , i t y, a gr i c u t u r e n a v i a t o n s a n d s c e n c e o f th e N e h e a n d l , g i , a rt i t rl s a n d i s Co n n n s h m t lo ie s , a d t o i c re a e t e c o m e rc e o f th e
U n te d e s w h e a d n d i n i S ta t ith th e N e t rl n s a t s Co lo ie s .
ARTICLE III . QBttit es
The principal Offices o f the Chamber shall be in the
City of New York . Branch Offi ces m ay be established in other cities o f the United States .
TIC A R LE IV . a ual anb l ite fil emb er s
T b e here shall Annual and Life Members . Eligible to membership shall be F i r s t u Hollanders , D tch firms , corporations u i instit t ons . Co n s ti tuti o n
S eco n d z Of , Naturali ed Americans Dutch parentage .
T/z i r d D , Americans Of utch ancestry. Application for membership must be made to the Of i Board D rectors , who shall elect the members . Th e dues of annual members residing in the United b e u e States shall ten dollars , and of ann al m mbers u u residing o tside of the United States ten g ilders , - 1 st M a payable the of y of each year . Th e paym ent Of two hu ndred dollars at one time b y a person eligible to memb ership and residing in the United States , shall constitute such person a life member the payment Of two hundred guilders b y a i b e t o b h person elig l mem ers ip , and residing outsid e
a of the United States , sh ll likewise constitute him a b ut u b e i b life member , only nat ral persons shall elig le to life membership .
Th e fiscal year shall r un from the l st of M a y to the 3oth o f April .
A n y member failing to n otify the Secretary in wr iting before the Close Of the fiscal year Of his i n ten tion to terminate his memb ership shall be considered m b a em er for the e nsuing year .
TIC AR LE V .
memb ers ex! officio
Du tch Consu ls in the United States shall b e m em b x -o fii c o ers e i .
TIC AR LE VI . 1 0 5 5 of memb ership
Th e Board of Directors shall hav e power to drop from the roll of members the name of a n y mem ber who m ay fail to p a y his d ues within three months u after the sam e are d e . Con sti tuti on
Th e Board of Directors m ay also expel any member for dishonorabl e conduct or dealings , but only after a hearing Of such member at a regu lar m e eting of the o f Board Directors , at which no less than six directors must be present and b y a two -thirds vote of the d irect v b ors present , provided that due notice be gi en y the - to Secretary Treasurer , both the accused member an d Of d a r to all the directors , the y when such hea ing shall be held and Of the charge against such member . If the accused m ember shall n o t appear at such hear
o r b e o n ing in person by proxy , the vote may taken his expulsion the same a s though he had appeared .
TIC AR LE VII . f ounb er s anb mortar s A donation Of one hun d red dollars by a member
o r residing in the United States , of one hundred guilders b y a member resid ing outside of the United d i n co r o r States . ma e within the first year after the p ation Of the Chamber , shall entitle such member to the name of Founder , and a list Of such Founders shall be published in every annual repor t of the
Chamb er . Such a donation made after th e first year after the incorporation Of the Chamber shall entitle such mem Of Of ber to the name Donor , and a list such Donors shall also be published in every annual report Of the
Chamber .
A TI C R LE VIII . Gssori ate fil emb er s
A n y person , firm , corporation or institution , if engaged in pursuits connected with the purpose o f b b D i r e c the Cham er , may be admitted y the Board Of tors as a n Associate Memb er upon an annual payment f l o ten dol ars . 1 0 Co n sti tu ti on
TIC I ! AR LE .
IBir eetor s ottieer s ano Z , honorary officer s
The aff airs Of the Chamber shall b e managed b y a Of h h o n Board Directors , consisting in additio n to t e Ofii cer s t n m e orary hereinafter named , of e emb rs , who shall be elected at th e annual meeting and who b e shall elect from their num er a President , Vic President and Secretar y-Treasu rer ; and all power s not specifically con ferred o n the members at their
annual meeting shall v est in said Board o f Directors .
On e - o f half the members of the Board , including
- the President and Secretary Treasurer , shall be resi
u l z e dent Hollanders or nat ra i ed A merican s . The oth r members shall be chosen from the members o f Dutch
ancestry .
Th e memb ers Of the Board Of Dir ectors shall be
o f e u th e chosen for terms thre years , s bject to follow ing provision : The Board Of Di rectors to b e elected at the first annual meeting (1904) shall divi de itself t u into three classes , the firs class consisting Of fo r
members retiring at the end Of the first year , the second cl a ss consisting of fou r at the en d of the l o f two second year , and the third c ass consisting at en d Of b Of e the the third year , the mem ers ach class being half residen t Hollanders or n aturaliz ed Am er
i c n s m a and half A ericans of Dutch ancestry .
1905 m u In at the annual eeting , and ann ally there b e fo r Of r after , Directors shall chosen terms th ee Of years in place those whose terms s hall then expir e .
The memb er s o f the Board shall be eligi ble fo r r e
election .
Th e election Of Officers shall be b y b allot and the m b e e fo r a n l i o n aj ority of the votes shall nec ssary e ect . Co n s ti tu ti on
o f t Should a vacancy occur in the Board Direc ors , a successor for the unexpired term shall be elected by
that body.
M Of t The inister the Netherlands at Washing on , C b e C D . . , shall Honorary President . The onsul General Of th e Netherlands in the City Of New York
- shall be Honorary Vice President .
TIC ! AR LE .
meetings of the Q uart! ot E ir et tor s
The Board Of Directors shall meet at the call o f the
President , and such shall also be made upon the t an s wri ten request of y three member of the Board , Three Directors shall b e necessary to constitute a
quorum .
TIC ! I AR LE .
B uttes of QBttiter s — Pr es ide n ts This President shall exercise a general
f r u r vi f O . o s pe sion over the a fairs the Chamber He ,
- in his absence , the Vice President , shall preside at all m eetings of the Chamber an d Of the Board Of e a Directors , and he shall hav the casting vote in c se
the nu mb er be equal on a division .
b - In the absence of oth President and Vice President , b a presiding Officer shall be selected , chosen y and
from the Board Of Directors .
In addition to the powers hereb y specifically con u ferred , the President shall have s ch power as shall be
confer red on h im b y th e Board of Dir ectors .
- r i den t — h u i ce P es . T V e d ties Of the President , in o f a e v v u case his bsen c , shall de ol e pon the Vice
Pres ident . 1 2 Co n s ti tuti o n
S ecr eta ry Tr eas ur er The Secretary - Treasurer shall have the care of all documents and shall co n du ct the correspondence of the Chamber and Of the
Board O f Directors . He shall keep minutes of the proceedin gs Of the Chamber a n d Of the Board Of
Directors .
He shall n otify m emb ers of their election and shall give due notice of all meetings .
r He shall prepare the annual repo t , covering the Of t proceedings the Chamber , as well as o her reports u which the Chamber may p blish , under the general gu idance of the Board .
He shall have charge Of all moneys and other assets
Of th e Chamber . He shall at the annual meeting present a statement of the financial a fi a i r s Of the Chamber . This state ment must have been previously audited by two members appointed for the purpose b y the Chamber at the preceding annual meeting
The Board Of Directors shall fix the salary Of the Secretary-Treasurer
TIC I I AR LE ! .
meetings
Th e chamber shall hold an annual meeting o n the third Saturday in the month Of May for the purpose Of electing members O f the Board Of Directors and fo r the transaction Of su ch other business as may come before the meeting .
In addition to the Annual Meeting , special meet ings may be called when the Board shall j udge proper , and also when requ ested in writing by a n y ten mem bers ; in such request the Obj ect fo r which such meet ing i s desired shall be specified . Con s ti tu ti on
Ten members Of the Chamber shall be necessary to constitute a quorum . The Secretary shall give at least five days notice Of the time and place Of all meetings Of the Chamber to the members residing in the United States , and at least three days notice Of all meetings Of the Board Of
Directors to the directors .
Voting by proxy is n o t allowed at a n y Of the meetings
Of the Chamber .
R TIC ! A LE III .
The Board Of Directors shall have power to make
- all B y Laws not inconsistent with this constitution .
TIC ! I A R LE V.
Th e Chamber is prohibited from engaging in any commercial transaction o n its o wn account or in any transaction other than those necessary fo r the e xe cu Of tion its purposes .
A TIC ! V R LE .
gmenoments
Amendments to any part Of this Con stitution shall be made only at a special meeting called for the pur Of u pose making s ch amendments , such Obj ect being expressed in the notice Of such special meeting . 1 4 Tl i e Da te/z i n N ew Nether l a n d
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n l /éstr a cks eder o ni keer en om a a n de B ewi n t/z d oe y w , e ober en te d oen getr o uwelyc/ér appor t en r el aes va n syn r e se en o ver e ven s n o u r n a l e n Co a r sen ka er ten y , g y j , , , en a l l es wa t l i em o d e r e se we der vaer en i s san der p y , i e a /z te r te l i o uden wel eke a a n sta en d r e e ts g , Op e ys de B e wi n t/i ebber en a a n den voo r st: H u dso n s ul l en beta l en
ot s n u r u ti n e o d e voo r t : r e e a l so o t y yt s g p s ys , s to t
n /i o u l va n s n vr o uw e n ki n der n d m m e n o der y e , e so va a /z t H o n d er t G u l de n en i n eva l l e d a a r Godt o o r g , g ( v b i n een a a r n i et weder om m e Iz i er te l a n de o sy) y j , f Iz i e o m i r en t e n u a m e te a r r i ver en ul l en de ewi n t r q , s B nebber en n agl i a a n syn H uys vr o uwe beta l en twee l u a n n a H o n de r t C co r t, e ls d o n a a n Item en syn e er ven
r d er eno uden n n r b n a n i et vo g sy . Te wae e y d ae r a n d T/ze Un i ted Sta tes 1 5
71 0 m a /z te kam e n te a r r i ve r en a te d a b b i n n e i g , f t y n s a a r s ekam en wa a r e n de d e a ss a i e aet e n de j g , p g g be u a ei n d a tse Ca m : wede r a i n i n e s a ude ebr u eke n q p g y ,
evan den l z a dde I n wel eken e va l l e d e B e wi n /z e b er n g , g t b e
a a n d en vo o r u : H udso n voo r s n e er i eu l e n m ae ten y p , y en ka n s te s u l l e n r eeo n zpe n ser en tat l i a r e d i ser eti e
a r n i ed r n : ud n t E n de i n wa e de voo H s o evr ed e n i s . ge va l l e de B ewi n t/z eaaer en gaetvan den a l sd a n desel ve r e se te ver vo l e n e n eo n ti n u er e n i m et de n o r u y g , s v o H ud so n gea eear deer t e n ver d r ag e n d a t l zy l z i er te a n de s n waan tee m et vr o uw n ki n der n a l n em n L y s e e s e , en l i em va n n i e n i a n t a n d er s a l s va n de Ca mp : l a te n gebr uyeken en da t ta t r edelyek/zei d e n d i ser eti e va n de B ewi n tl zebber en d ie l zem oak va n de n s el ven d i en s t
vo r der en a l s d a n i n a l l e bi l lyek/ze i t e n r ed elyek/ze i t
bel avan te ver en oe e n e n ean ten ter en A l l es s a n d r g g , e a r l z o l i s t I n ken n i sse de r wa er /ze t s n l i i er va n g f . y y em aee/et twee ean tr a eten va n ee n e n ten e ur e n b be de g , y y a r t e n a n de r te e/ee n t a l s w ede b ad aeus H a n di us p y y , y j , a l s talek e n etu e D a tu m a l s baven wa s eteeeken t g yg , , p , D i r ek va n 0 s P a e H en r H udson l a er s to n t , pp , y , g B m ad aeus H an d i us a l s etu e y y j g yg , 1 6 Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
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n a r a d r H en r H udso n E n l i h m a n o n o e t n M . s p y , g , th e oth e r a r t h a ve a r eed a o l l o ws T wi t: Th e s . o p . g f D i r ecto r s m en ti o n ed a bo ve wi l l equ ip a s h ip o r yach t o a bo ut th i r t to n s wi th wh i ch th e a i d H uds o n r o f y , s , p vi ded wi th a cr e w vi ctu a l s a n d oth er n ecess a r i es wi l l , , s a i l o n o r a bo ut th e fir s t of A pr i l to l oo k fo r a p a ss age th r o u h th e N o r th n o r th o N o va S em bl a a n d wi l l g , f , co n ti n ue to s a i l i n l o ngi tud i n a l d i r ecti o n u n ti l h e wi l l be a bl e to s a i l to a l a ti tude o s i x t de r ees a n d wi l l f y g , en dea vo r to o bta i n a s m uch h n o wl edge a s poss i bl e of co u n tr i es a s wi l l be poss i bl e wi th o ut excepti o n a l l oss of ti m e a n d i oss i bl e wi l l a ter wa r ds r etur n to r e o r t , f p , f p a i th ul l to th e D i r ecto r s wi l l del i ver h i s l o boo h f f y , g , u r es ch a r ts a n d wi l l r e l a te a l l even ts o h i s o ur n e co s , f j y , wi th o ut h i d i ng a nyth i ng ; f or wh i ch vo yage th e D i r ec i l a u n to th e s a i d H en r H uds o n a s e l l to r s w l p y y , w f o r h i s equ ipm en t a s f o r th e h eep of h i s wife a n d ch i l d r e n th e s um o E i ht H u n d r ed G u i l de r s a n d i n , f g , ca se (wh i ch th e L or d p r eve n teth ) h e d oes n ot r etu r n i n th i s co u n tr o r i n i ts n ei h bor h ood wi th i n a ea r y , g , y , th e D i r ecto r s wi l l m a ke a n a dd i ti o n a l paym en t to h i s
i e o Two H u n d r ed G u i l d er s cur r e n c a n d a ter w f f y , f th a t wi l l n o t be h el d to a ny fur th er p aym e n ts to h i m
h i h r Un l ess a ter th a t ti m e h e wer e ti l l se lf o r s ei s . f s t r etur n o r i n cas e he r etu r n s wi th i n a ea r a n d th a t o , y , h e h as pr oper lyfo u n d th e pass age so th a t th e Co mpa ny a m ke use o sa m e a a i n i n wh i ch ca se th e D i r ec c n a f g ,
tithe 29mmin fi eto anetberl aub
aah t t e di niteb éta es .
That the Dutch have taken Holland ” is so well known that such statement will never give any cause for argument ; but that the Dutch once upon a time ” Ol d also took little New York , or rather the land
o ur upon which proud city now stands , we have only recently been reminded by the pr eparations fo r the great celebration which is now so n ear at hand . And even at present the accomplishments Of the Dutch in America are somewhat crowd e d into the b ack ground b y the name Of the Englishman command ing the first ship that explored the waters of the
n o great and maj estic river w bearing his name .
The exploration Of t his river however was on ly inciden ta l to the subsequent events that have been very material agents in creating a form Of government d and conditions as we know them to ay . It is there Of fore the intent this little booklet to give , in brief , Of the story Of happenings in this section the world , and principally to show the part played b y the Dutch people in the dev elopment Of political an d social life .
Recent p ublications have fully informed u s regard
o f m ing the entering the bay by De Halve Mae e , Of under command Hudson , on September the z u d 1609 to , ; that he sailed up the river the present Of site the city Of Albany , an d again set sail for r 4th i Eu ope on October the , arriv ng in Dartmouth “ ” h M a en e o n Novemb er the 7t . Here D e Halve b l was detained y the English , but after some de ay a new cr ew ar rived from Holland and she was taken 1 9 Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
i b back to Amsterdam , w th Ro ert Juet in charge , Hudson remaining in England and r e - entering th e service Of the Muscovy Company , with which he had been conn ected before contracting with the East India
Company .
The stories brought to Holland about quantities o f
b b n furs o taina le i the valley of this river , induced many merchants to despatch v essels to the n ewly dis 1609 covered territory, and between the years and 16 12 we find records Of large numbers O f vessels
fo r a which set sail Our co st . If during these years u settlements were b ilt , they must have been Of a very
n u l fo r temporary at re , mere y the purpose Of collect b ing furs , as we find n o relia le records referring to permanent colonies .
s iti n th e s e Amongst the many traders vi g shores , we find the names Of Adriaan Block and Hendrick Christ i an s e n h o 1 6 1 2 , W in , respectively in the Tyger
f r . and the Fortuin , set sail o the n ew world
Returning from one Of his voyages , Block brought b u Of ack with him , in addition to the us al cargo furs , two sons of Indian chiefs , the first which had ever
ex l o r been seen in Holland . Christiansen thoroughly p 16 1 2 1621 ed the Hudson river between the years and , d uring which per iod h e made ten trips to the Upper
Hudson , in which region he built a fort on the site Of 1 6 14 the present city of Albany , while in he erected a “ i r o n d u t . , or circular fort , at Esopus
’ o r Adriaan Block s vessel , from some cause other , caught fire and was totally destroyed . A n ew ship , Of b u 16 b u a o t tons rden , was built to replace the O ” Tyger This vessel , called the nrust , rep ’ resented the first produ ct Of the shipbuilder s skill o n the island o f Manhattan . a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes 2 1
16 14 C At this time , in March , , the Dutch ongress promised that he wh o discovered a new country an d should give information thereof within a fortnight
after his return in the fatherland , after having made v four voyages to the new land , would recei e a monopoly Of its trade . b His ambition fired y this Offer , Block decided to sail up the East Riv er and explore the country in that direction , when , to his great surprise , in proceeding up the Long Island Sound , he found what he at first believed to be an inland sea . It should be added that up to this time it was b elieved that New England came
to down the sea , and no knowledge existed regarding a s ea - arm between the mainland and an islan d facing u the ocean . He explored the surro nding country and waters , discovering Block Island and Block Island
Sound , which have perpetuated his name . While Block
was engaged in exploring the Sound , Christiansen made a trip along the south coast of Long Island , and their combined efforts resulted in a complete map Of
n the island a d the surrounding waters .
On O 16 14 ctober the l st , , Block arrived in Holland w with this new map , sho ing the island , numerous waterways and a new approach to Manhattan , as also f many rivers an d the location o several Indian tribes .
On the 1 l th Of the s a me month a charter was issued “ ” and The United N ew Netherland Company was
formed , which controlled the territory lying between
the Connecticut and Susquehanna rivers .
As the foregoing events have shown , the only Obj ect in visiting these shores was the gathering Of riches — no desire for permanent settlement existed as — u yet this was to be brought about by other ca ses .
’ At this time , during the twelve year s truce , Holland Th e Du tch i n N ew Neth er l a n d
was prosperous , an d her ships visited every sea and every shore to Obtain valuable merchandis e fo r the
o f n markets the fatherland . And eve during war times far more applicants were found to j oin the fleet an d r s go forth to captu e rich Spanish galleon , than could b e ob tained to follow the peaceful and quiet pursu it Of settling in and developing a ne w country .
1621 In , after the truce with Spain had expired , the Th e G West India Company was chartered . overnor G eneral of the corporation had to be commissioned b b ut and appro ved y Congress , , with this exception , its powers were sovereign . It could effect treaties
a and lliances with princes and potentates , erect forts ,
o n b plant colonies , carry war and esta lish govern v ments . As we ha e said , there were few Dutch Of willing to set forth as colonists the new possession s , H and settlers were hard to find . There were in o l Of land , however , several hundred thousands Wal
o loons , living as exiles from their wn country in the h land where religion and speec was free , and Of these some fe w were willing to tr y their fortun es in the n ew world .
Un der leadership o f Jesse de Fo rest thirty-one families from Leyden set forth in the Nieuw N eder ” 1 623 land , in March , , accompanied by the armed “ ” M ak r e el yacht , De , under command Of Captain Cor
M a . On v b a v n elis J . y arri al in the y, se eral families disembarked o n th e land named after the seven b states of the Republic , Staten Island . In a ocht e or bend in the East River others made a settlem nt , in commemoration Of which event this bocht was “ a afterwards c lled Walen Bocht , and the change “ ” to the present name Of Wa l l ab o u t in Brooklyn r r can easily be traced . Eighteen families were ca ied a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes 2 3
o n up the river , settling the site of the city Of Albany, Of n under command Adria Joris , the Lieutenant Of
Captain May ; and it was in this settlement , in Jun e ,
1625 . , that the first baby in the colon y was born Before proceeding further it might be well to see in how far the N etherlands had a clear title to the terri tory n ewly occupied , according to international rights n as u derstood in those days .
In the origi nal charter Of Virginia , as issued in 1606 Of , King James England Claimed possession Of that part Of America lying between the 34th and 45 th b ut b e b parallel , at the same time it should orne in mind that it wa s Queen Eliz abeth who asserted the doctrine that mere discovery of lands across the sea was not suffi cient to provi de the discoverer with a a b ut v lid title , that this should be followed up by set tl e m e n t and occupation .
1 6 19 n i In , Thomas Dermer , an English av gator , was sent o u t by the Plymouth Company to make a r r h trip Of exploration th ough these wate s , and on t is occasion he followed the same route taken b y Adrian
v . Block , only in re ersed direction He came down the u East River and passed Manhattan without to ching ,
a n and without noticing y Dutchmen . In the spring Of 1620 he retu rn ed and found o n Manhattan many b u sy fur traders , to whom he remarked that they
o n were trespassing English territory , to which they replied that they had found no Englishmen when they came here and hoped that they had gi ven no
Off ence . When Dermer returned to London with the news Of the busy fur trade which was carried o n in m Manhattan , a new charter was drawn up in th e na e o f of the Council New England , by which possession was claimed Of all lands lying on the American Conti Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
n ent between the 4oth and 48th parallel and reaching
from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean . In this docu ment it was claimed that King James was credibly informed that these lands were not yet settled by C hristian people , but taken in consideration that such
territory would also include New France , it may ’ reasonably be suspected that the King s information u did not come from very reliable so rces .
A year later the English a m b a s s ad er in the Hagu e wa s instru cted to call the attention Of the States Gen e ral to the fact that the Dutch in America were o ccu i n b t py g territory belonging to England , u the result n fie ct ing d iscussions do not seem to hav e had a y e , and it cannot b e traced whether a n y an swer was sent
to the English Government .
In Opening up these settlements , the Dutch had the advantage ov er their n eighbors in the prev ious exp er i e n ce of the D utch East India Compan y in other
r o parts Of the world . They knew what should be p i d ed n v for , and came well equipped with buildi g and
I n 1625 farming im plements , seeds , etc . the first
two shi ploads Of cattle and horses , pigs and sheep v w a s o n wa arri ed , so that the colony now well the y u to to become a f ll fledged community , prepared sup l p y its own wants .
Th e first settlement in Manhattan was started und er Of C 16 24 the leadership aptain May , who in was suc b Th e ce ed ed . y Willem Verhulst colony , however , Co m began to look so promising , that the West India pany decided to send a Director - General to take over Of the reins the government . As such it appointed
P e er M n u o n 1 9th 16 25 i t i it , Pieter Minuit , who sailed December the , , ‘ ‘ fi s t G o ver n o r th e Z e em e eu w v 4th r in good ship , arri ing on May the , “ ” 16 26 b n h im z i ek en tr o o st r s and ringi g with the e ,
The Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
t order o show what the colony could do . More and more the attention o f Holland was drawn to the New b World , which showed such great possi ilities ; demon s tr a t ed in a way b y the following trade figu res Of N ew Amsterdam fo r the year 1 630
u . Imports , g ilders 130 000 Exports , , ( or an excess Of exports Of
Though this m ay b e considered a fairly good show s ing for a co lony only newly started in a wildernes , it was hardly sufli ci en t to create much excitement n amo gst the Directo rs Of the West India Company. The principal obj ect Of this organi z ation was to go
t wa r u af er the spoils Of , which promised s ch rich v e o f har ests in the captur d fleets the Spanish , while
z coloni ation was only a secondary consideration . If it be reali z ed that the capture o f the silver fleet in 16 28 left the company proceeds Of and that the n ext year sundry privateers b rought in a bounty of over that in 1630 Braz il was taken and occupied - these successes resu lting in dividends Of 25 — and 50 per cent i t need ca u se no wond er that s o little attention was paid to the settlements in the “ Hudson River Valley . Those were getting rich ” quick days for large corporations , and the slow and tedious procedure of coloni z ing and cultivatin g n e w countries found little favor in the eyes of th e men at the helm .
The realiz ation that greater in ducements had to b e f Of ered to increase the development Of the colony, led “ ” Of o — to the creation the s called patroon system . In 16 29 the West India Company issued its charter Of ” b d e Privileges and Exemption s , y which it was elat ed that a n y memb er Of the Company who should a n d The Un i ted Sta tes 27 b ring to and settle in New Netherland , within the x 50 n e t four years , grown up persons , should receive
b o r a li eral grant Of lan d to hold as patroon lord . Such land might have a frontage Of 1 6 miles if o n o n e 8 side of a river , or miles if situated on both sides . o n The patroon would be chief magistrate his land , but disputes Of more that 5 0 guilders could be appealed u to the Director and his Co ncil in New Amsterdam . The tenants would b e free from all taxation fo r 1 0
n o t years , but during this period they would be o n e o r to allowed to change from estate to another ,
a mov e from the country to the town . The p troons would have full lib erty to purchase good s in New o r i Netherland , New England New France , w th ex c e ti o n b u t to p of furs , such goods would have pay in f New Amsterdam an export tax o five per cent . before
Th e they could be shipped to Europe . fur trade remained a monopoly Of the Company . The weaving of cloth was prohibited in order n o t to curtail the
field for the looms in Holland . The first manor under this charter was acquired by
an d B l o m m a er t two Samuel Godyn Samuel , Of the
’ Company s Directors , who started a settlement called
n al Swa en e d on the Delaware Bay , but the colonists , 32 in number , after the settlement had been in exist ur ence for only a short while , were m dered by the
Indians .
u The second vent re was by Michael Pauw , who
o n Of ob tained land the present site Jersey City , call
s . ing it Pavonia , which name still urvives The enter
n o t u prise however , was a financial s ccess and he th finally sold his holdings to e West India Company .
The most s uccessfu l Of the settlements started under the patroonship charter has been the colon y o n Th e Du tch i n N ew Neth er l a n d
u b Ki l i a a n the pper Hudson y van Rensselaer , an S ettle m en t i n Amsterdam j eweler and member Of the Chamber Of R en ss el a er wyk Oh a k s Amsterdam . From the M w he purchased a plot Of lan d n o w represented b y Albany and Re n sselaer
R en s s el a er wk counties , which settlement was called y and to which he brought several families from the ' k e r k town Of Ny , the place Of his birth . It did not take long before disputes arose between
e the patroon s and the Company , both sid s claiming n o t that the contracts were lived up to , an d an indi rect result o f these difficulties wa s the recall o f Pi eter fo r M 1 6 32 Minuit who left Hollan d in arch , , in the “ ” good ship Eendragt .
u Wo ute r w His s ccessor was van T iller , a clerk in ’ the Company s Offi ce and a nephew of Ki l i a a n van
Rensselaer , through whose influen ce he seems to
have Obtained his appointment .
1 633 Z o u tb er He arrived in April on the ship g,
ver ar du s accompanied by Domine E Bogardus , the
R o el a n d z o o n first clergyman , an d Adam , the first T schoolmaster , who came to New N etherland . here i 1 04 a also came over w th him soldiers , the first g rri
o n r s to take up its abode in N ew N eth e l an d .
T h a Van willer , in later years , s Often b een made sub o f h o the j ect caricaturists , w have either wilfully misrepresented him o r who erred throu gh lack o f
knowledge Of the real facts . In the first place he is
u u u a s m a n o f s ally pict red a large , fat advanced age i s u fo r o n e o f in which case he substit ted his father , C the Directors of the ompany, as he was a young man Of 27 years when he was sent over as D irector - Gen
eral Of the colony.
His lack of decision in many cases has given h i m ” “ ” Of o r u ut the name D e Twyfelaar , Do bter , b this a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes
hesitancy should not be blamed upon him personally, b ut o n the peculiar conditions which existed during ur his rule . In other instances , where his co se was e clear , he c rta inly showed a good deal of activity, courage and chivalry .
At the time o f his arrival the war with Spain was i i n str uc still rag ng , and the new Governor received tions from the States -Gen eral n o t to begi n hostilities with his English neighbors under any circumstances , as Holland at that momen t coul d hardly afford to be entangled in a war with still another country . Never th el e s s there were s u fli ci en t grounds for a call to
o f arms , on account the utter disregard by the Eng lish o n the Connectic ut river Of the Dutch territorial b m ri ghts , but bound hand and foot y instructions fro Of home , van Twiller could only resort to a game u u bl ff if this did not have the desired result , he co ld u b O not back p his demands y force f arms .
T here seems to be no doubt , however , that van Twiller was somebody Of an over -convivial character and at the many gatherings with his comrades , was u i wont to imbibe rather freely, which co ld hardly n crease his prestige amongst the burghers and their
o f n o t wives . He has also been accused being averse to peculation an d to have made use Of his exalted m position to obtain many lands , while it also ay b e added that , though the Government farms hardly
b o uw er i e s paid expenses , his private yielded him large revenues yearly .
One o f his first acqu isitions was N o o t en Eiland o r P a a n ck b Nut Island , called gg y the Indians , which he Obtained from the ab origines in exchange for some - b A axe heads , a string of eads and a few nails . fter Th e Dutch i n N ew Nether l a n d
’ this purcha se the island s name was changed to ' w Governor s Island , hich name it has retained until
the present time .
T h e main diffi culty with which van Twiller had to
contend was the aggressiveness Of the English , who , by
O f virtue the charter Of the Council of N ew England ,
z did n o t recogni e the territorial rights Of the Dutch .
e l k i n s A few days after his arrival , Jacob E , formerly
in the service of Amsterdam merchants , during which
period he had built Fort Nassau ( now Albany), but
f l o b er O O C C . who had since entered the service y , a
London firm , entered the river in command Of an “ T English ship , named William . Van willer order ed him to come ashore and asked him what the Obj ect
el k i n s O f his visit was , to which E replied that he was 0 11 English territory and came to trade with the
Indians . Notwithstanding the counter arguments Of T van willer , nothing seems to have been done and
el ki n s E , after two days delay , quietly sailed up the T river , van willer apparently being at a loss what to d o under the circumstances in connection with th e
instructions from home . After a few days , however ,
a b e en i n co m persuaded by Capt in de Vries , who had o f wa a n e n d a el mand the ruined colony at S , it was decided to send a pinnace and a carav el with part Of
a el ki n s the troops fter E , whom they overtook near
Fort Orange . He had already collected a large
quantity of furs , which were confiscated , and the ship was escorted down the bay to start the homeward trip
without cargo , saving ballast . Other troubles faced van Twiller on the Connecticut 1 632 river , where , in , large tracts of land had been
purchased from the Indians and where , on the present F “ G ” site Of Hartford , ort De oede Hoop had been T erected . Van willer appointed as commander Of the a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes 3 1
r l a er new fort his former playmate , Jacobus van Co ,
N k er k a n s who also came from y , while Hans J e Een cluys was put in charge Of the two cannon which
o n had been placed the fort . At the mouth Of the river they nailed to a large tree the arms Of the States
’ Ki e vi et s General , which place was called Hoek .
Of h o The English people the Plymouth colony , w ever , hardly relished these proceedings and in order to show that they did not recogni z e the claims of the 1635 Dutch , in , the younger John Winthrop , acting under orders , pulled down the arms Of Holland at ’ Ki evi t s Hoek and erected a fort which he called
Saybrook . When van Twiller learned Of this , he sent a sloop from New Amsterdam with soldiers to r e
o f gain possession , but , as the commander this sloop i found the fort armed w th two cannon , which would necessitate a rather vigorous fight , they returned to Of the town , mindful the instructions from home to avoid war at any cost .
In the year before , Lieutenant William Holmes had sailed up the river to take possession Of some lands M which had been purchased from the ohegan Indians . “ G co m As they passed fort De oede Hoop , the i mander summoned them to return , as , otherw se they would be fired upon . Holmes replied that he was acting under orders Of the Governor Of Plymouth
o n o r and would go , volley no volley , and the Dutch again had to pocket their pride and let him pass . Holmes thereupon proceeded to Windsor where he built a house with a strong stockade around it . Later van Twiller sent a force Of 70 men to drive the English from their stronghold but as such evacuation could
vi only be Obtained by a gorous fight , and not by par
e n ta r l i a m y negotiations , they had to return to New
Amsterdam without havi n g accomplished anything . Th e Dutch i n N ew Nether l a n d
It ca n be fully reali z ed how irritating these pro h i b i ti ve instructions were for a young man like Wo uter T to van wi ller , and do him j ustice , it should be said that in cases where there was no question Of b the rights , as etween D utch and English , he proved to to r e be Of the right mettle , and not afraid have course to force Of arms .
Witness his proceedings in reference to the Indians , whom he held to a strict accounting fo r any misdeed s they committed , regardless Of whether the victim was
o r b E nglish Dutch , and y keeping order amongst the b i t a orig nes in this territory , he certainly streng hened the Dutch territorial rights . Though the colony had prospered greatly under the rule of van Twi ller , during which time a second church was built in New Amsterdam and a large number Of windmills were erected on Manhattan , he
o f was not wi thout enemies , and the end his reign was drawing near . Domine Bogardus denounced him to the States - General for peculation and for favoring his ’ uncle s colony at R e n s s el a er wyk ; this r esulted in his dismissal from Offi ce while the Company was investi gating the charges made against him .
A s his successor was appointed Willem Kieft , and if ever a b a d choice was made by a company having Of charge such large territory , it was made in this case . It is hard to understand why the Directors Of the West India Company selected him , as it appears that there were many rumors about his former life , and it m ay be fairly deduced that his antecedents were not properly investigated , but that his promises of enforcing reforms won him the appointment .
Kieft seems to have been a man witho ut sagacity o r i u diplomacy, which qual ties were Of the tmost n e ce ss
34 Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
b felt y the Indians Of the neighboring territories , and it is this rule by force , without diplomacy or wisdom , which was the cause Of the many bloody massacres an d the almost total devasta tion Of New N e th er l a n d dur ing his administration . It appears that some pigs were stolen from a settler
’ o n e in Staten Island by Of the Company s servants , but it was claimed that the theft had been committed by some Of the Raritan Indians , who lived twenty miles inland . Without proper investigation , Kieft , in order to punish them , sent a company Of soldiers
r who killed seve al , burned their houses and destroyed b their crops . The Raritans revenged themselves y massacring a settlement in Staten Island ; which Kieft
’ fo r met by Offering a premium every Raritan s head .
At the same time a wheelwright Of Manhattan ,
C W e ck u a e s e ck laes Smit , had been murdered by a q g Of o f Ol d Indian Yonkers , in settlement an score , and the sachem o f his tribe refused to gi ve up the mur i derer . In order to be able to insist upon the g ving up Of the culprit , which might mean war , it would be necessary to put the town in a state Of defense and r e pair the fort . In order to raise the revenue to cover
o n the cost Of these repairs , Kieft laid a tax the river
Indians , which act greatly incensed the whole Dutch population , as this was contrary to all the precedents and principles Of the Dutch , always ardent defenders “ ” Of n o the maxim taxation without representation .
A similar event happened in Hackensack , where a settler was shot and killed by a drunken Indian . The chiefs Of the murderer ’s tribe Offered to pay 800
’ Of o r fathoms wampum , bead money , to the victim s widow , in atonement for the deed , but claimed that they could n o t deliver the murderer as he had fled to the Haverstraw Indians . a n d The Un i ted Sta tes 3 5
A few months later a party Of Mohawks , armed with
Muskets , came down the river to gather tribute from r the river tribes who , g eatly alarmed , sought refuge in Pavonia and Manhattan . This seemed to Kieft an exceptional opportunity to settle his grievances and in o f the middle the night he sent down his soldiers , 1 20 i f who massacred Indians , bring ng in the heads O i their v ctims as trophies Of war . This resulted in a general warfare , with continuous murder and retalia o n tion both sides . After a while , however , the Indians as well as the Dutch began to understand that i o n ff the carry ng Of a war is a costly a air . Both sides began to get tired Of the controversy and at last a treaty Of peace was signed at the home Of Jonas Bronk , in the present Borough Of the Bronx .
Notwi thstanding this treaty it was found that the
t a peacemaking was prema ure , and hostilities began
a 1 50 co m new , until force Of Dutch soldiers , under
Of a mand Capt in James Underhill , an exile from
Boston , defeated the Algonquins near Stamford on a 700 clear winter night , leaving dead Indians on the
o n field . Ere long the tribes Long Island and West chester sued for peace , which finally ended the war .
Th e greatest burden Of these wars naturally fell o n the people , who had to pay taxes to meet expenses , and great dissatisfaction was felt wi th the rule f Of o Kieft . In the meantime a council eight men had been chosen , as Kieft found it was impossible to pro ce e d altogether without consulting the representa f ti v e s o the people . Six months after the war these eight men addressed a letter to the States General explaining how the country had been devastated and
a asking the rec ll Of Kieft , charging him with the
Of Ku t er responsibility causing the war , Melyn and y , Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
Of members this council , taking the initiative in the accusation against Kieft .
After this letter reached Holland , the Company de cided to relieve Kieft o f the ad ministration Of the
Colony and appointed in his place Pieter Stuyvesant ,
r formerly Governor Of Cu agao .
If anybody could be expected to regain the co n fid e n ce Of the people and to be received with the r e f o f spect due to an o ficer such high rank , it would be
S tu e sa n t wh o yv , had a long , honorable , military career b o f ehind him , and who carried the proof being a b rave soldier around with him in the form Of a wooden o n e leg , having lost the natural one in Of the West
Indian wars .
N O matter how much respect a military Governor m a o r y command , how true a servant Of his superiors he may be , as a civil administrator he often proves a failure if he does not alter his tactics , and Stuyvesant Th e Of was no exception . colonists New Amsterdam
-b n o t were free orn burghers , soldiers who could be ridden over roughshod . In the fatherland they had been brought up with a firm belief in representative government and this b e lief had n o t left them when setting forth to the New
World , as subsequent events will show .
Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam o n May 24th and was ceremoniously welcomed by the population .
ca wh o With him me his wife , was accompanied to the colony by her sister , Mrs . Bayard and her three
Children .
On his arrival he found the fort in a d e pl o r a b l e
z o n state . Cows gra ed the grassy slopes and trampled down the walls , while hogs rooted under the palisa f does o the stockade . At once he began levying a n d The Un i ted Sta tes
taxes to repair and rebuild the stronghold , placing a o n new excise spirits and wines , and increasing the o n export duty furs , in order to meet the expenses .
At the outset this caused trouble with the council , who claim e d that the company should pay fo r the defences itself , but should not levy taxes from the r A Of bu ghers for this purpose . S in the days Kieft , proclamation followed proclamation and the people began to ask themselves if they were so much better Off G than under the rule Of the former overnor . One o f the leaders Of the Opposition was Adriaan van der u Of Donck , who inc rred the disfavor Stuyv esant to such an extent that the Governor threw him into prison . It would lead us too far to relate in detail all the b ut squabbles between Stuyvesant and the council , suffice to say that they resulted at last in the sending Of the famous Ver to o gh or demonstration to the States - General this was written by Adriaan van der
Donck , who , in the meantime had been released from
Ku t er prison , on the return Of Melyn and y . Van der Donck , with two others chosen from the foremost b o u urghers , was sent to Holland to present this d c H ment to their High Mightinesses at the ague , and
1 635 a s i n pleaded so well , that in New Amsterdam w
o r o r at ed c p as a city with a free municipal government , Of two consisting a schout , burgomasters , and five schepens . At this moment the city could boast Of a f 8 0 population O about 0 souls .
On e of the main grievances against Stuyvesant was his intolerance in all matters pertaining to religion , forbidding the erection of any churches except Cal i n i sti c v Dutch Reformed , and in many cases cruelly i persecuting people belong ng to any o ther faith . It The Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d seems strange that a man like Stuyvesant should hav e shown such intolerance , coming , as he did , from a country whose people had fought for years for relig ious freedom and where n o restrictions existed r e garding worship according to individual belief . It should further be mentioned that since the West India Company had Offered more liberal terms to in Of tending emigrants , quite an influx foreign emi grants had begun , Of people who fled from religious n persecution in their o w country. There were Swed ish and German Lutherans , Baptists from Rhode Island and Quakers from Boston ; while in 16 54 the 23 r first Jews , in number , arrived in New Amste dam , having fled from Braz il after its recapture b y the
Portuguese . Public sentiment revolted against the persecution Of these people . who had expected to find in New o f r em o n s tr an Netherland a haven refuge , and when
- G ces were made to the States eneral , they found sympathetic listeners , as it also was against the wishes f Th e r e O the people in the fatherland . Governor cei ved a rebuke , and this seems to have ended the controversy.
It will be necessary to l eave this city for a while and proceed up the Hudson to the colony o f Rens
b Ki i a a n s el a er w k l . y , esta lished by van Rensselaer This colony had prospered more than any other in
New Netherland , and with prosperity came a certain T overbearance on the part Of the patroons . hey had always refused to acknowledge the authority Of the G n n over or at New Amsterdam , claimi g that they had
- received their grants from the States General direct , b and not from the Company. Embolden ed y the ease with which they could resist the Governor , they even proceeded beyond the limits of the origi nal grant a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes 3 and seiz ed an island in the Hudson o n which van
Rensselaer erected a fortress . This happen ed during Of w the reign van T iller , who wrote him asking by
z what right he had sei ed the island . The answer was “ ” By wapen r egt ( by the right Of arms ) and this
seems to have settled the question . It was discovered that many furs had been bought in his dominion by private traders , thus depriving him Of the profits o f fi this traf c , which induced him to invest this for
R en s s el a er st n tress , called y , with another right , ” th e namely staple right , levying tribute from every
On e d a r m s passing vessel . y when Govert Lo o ck e a n “ ” i n hi s passed the fortress yacht D e Goede Hoop , a shot was fired from the fort and he was ordered to W fo r strike his flag . hen asked whom , the watch master Kooru of the fort replied Vaor H eer Ki l i a a n e n h et s tape l r egt va n R en ssel aer s tyn ( fo r Lord
R e n s s el a er st n Kilian and the staple right Of y ) , upon which Lo o ck er m a n s replied that he would not strike the flag fo r anybody but the Prince Of Orange and
- their High Mightinesses the States General , upon
i . wh ch three shots were fired , damaging the ship Fo r this act Kooru was summoned to New A mster
dam and punished . Sundry similar acts and the sale Of firearms to the o n Indians , which was forbidden Manhattan , caused many wordy wars between Stuyvesant and the pat
roons , until at last the matter was laid before the
- States General , which resulted in the curtailing Of the
R en s s el a er s t n powers Of the lordly masters Of y . Another important event during Stuyvesant ’s admin i str a ti o n was the ca pture and annexation o f the
Swedish settlements on the Delaware river .
U s s el i n x Wh o William , an Antwerp merchant had done m u ch to promote the founding o f the West Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
C vu India ompany , afterwards approached King Gusta s o f Adolphus Sweden with similar proposals , leading w to the formation Of the South Company, hich sent o u t ships with emigrants and implements to the D ela
o n ware river , where the South shore , under leader Of ship Pieter Minuit , who , in the meantime , had w entered the service Of S eden , they built fort Christina , followed later by a settlement under John Printz o n T 1 2 Of inicum island , about miles south Philadelphia ,
t e n r called New G o t b e g . Also some English from
N ew Haven tried to settle in that section , on Salem creek , but they were promptly deported by the Dutch and sent back to New Haven . Though the Dutch were far from pleased with this invasion Of the Swedes in their territory , their strong holds i n this section were not powerful enough to
o r resist by force arms , as their only fortress was a
th e fort called Nassau , on D elaware , and afterwards a
o n o f stockade the present site Philadelphia , erected
r H u dd e B ev er s vr ed e by And ies and named , the total T h e garrison Of both fortifications being six men . same reason which kept the Dutch from opposing the English b y the force o f arms in the occupation Of their territory , withheld them from ousting the Swedes , as the States - General did not wish to run the risk of getting into war with another power as long as they were still fighting Spain . 165 1 In however , Stuyvesant had straighten ed out other matters , so that he could devote more time to the invaders in the south . Moreover , the treaty Of
M ii n s t er had been signed , while the Swedes were in s Of i the mid t their war w th Poland , so that no better opportunity could be expected . He therefore made a call for volunteers in New Amsterdam and succeeded Of b 700 in forming an army a out , which was more than
42 7 h e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
n able to give them , as it was then tottering o the verge Of bankruptcy .
Of According to the views King Charles II . Of Eng land , New Netherland belonged to England already, and he therefore felt himself justified in granting Of these lands to his brother , the Duke York and
z Albany, simply ignoring the doctrine Of Queen Eli a
. o f beth In order to expel the trespassers , a fleet four
- vessels was equipped , while the States General in H olland were hoodwinked by the claim that thi s fleet was sent to enforce Episcopacy upon the New England T h e Colonies . fleet really did sail to Boston , under
a command Of Colonel Richards Nicolls , already p F pointed Governor O f the colony to be sei z ed . rom o n there it sailed to New Amsterdam , and Saturday , A 3oth 1664 a b a ugust the , , c me up the y and demanded surrender Of the city . It was found that Nicolls had
to omitted sign the paper containing this demand , and
fo r u tu e it was sent back his signat re , which gave S yv sant an opportunity to consult wi th the burgomasters i u and schepens . The governor did not w sh to s rren f der , but as the City was in no condition to Of er any resistance and the attacking force more than overwhelming, the burgomasters and schepens would u a not listen to such proposals , as they wo ld only c use unnecessary bloodshed and could n o t change the final b i d outcome . Moreov er , they were not sorry to fare well to a ruler like the West India Company who had failed to protect them in time Of danger , had levied heavy taxes and had trampled o n their ideals of r representative government ; but , on the contra y, had burdened them with harsh administrators who had ruled them in an arbitrary way , and through mis management had been instrumental in causing them to lose what they had gathered through year s Of weary a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes 43
toil . Capitulation was therefore decided upon , and o n Tuesday morning Nicolls stepped ashore and took over the reins Of government .
Before bidding farewell to Stuyvesant and his rule , fo r o f the sake completeness , we might mention the
Ko r l a er name Of Anton van , a trumpeter Of the garrison , and , according to the popular version , his right -hand man Friday ; authentic history does not reveal anything remarkable about him , so that the glory of this name may be granted to be due to the need Of story writers Of later date Of material to work upon . It is claimed that when Stuyvesant found little support for his plans Of resistance amongst the burghers in New Amsterdam , he despatched van Ko r l a er to summon the colonists along the Hudson to the rescue . It happened to be very stormy weather ,
n o and when he came to the Harlem river , boatman could be found to ferry him across , as the attempt to
Ko r l a er do so was considered foolhardy . Van was n o t to be thwarted by the elements in his determina tion to reach the other side , and swore that he would “ ” get across I n spyt va n de n d u i vel ( in spite o f the devil) . He thereupon endeavored to swim across , but was drowned in the attempt , and since that day the “ ” scene Of this occurrence is called Spuyten D uyvel .
After the capitulation and the landing of Nicolls ,
to the banner Of St . George was run up take the place
Of the tricolor Of the Republic , and it may well be asked why no eff orts were made by the States - General to retake the colony ; but apparently other matters Of weightier importance prevented them from taking
drastic measures , as soon afterwards we see the
Republic at war with England , with whom it had been f o n such friendly footing o r so many years . The Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
New Amsterdam was rechristened New York and
the fort named Fort James , which it retained for nine
e . : 1673 years , i . until when the Dutch were engaged
in their third war with England .
At last it seemed that a fleet could be spared to attend to matters in the New World and in July o f R eca p tur e b y h t e D utch that year a Dutch fleet Of five vessels , under command f r u O C . Commodore ornelis Evertsen , J , sailed p the b a y and demanded surrender .
If the Dutch should be taken to task fo r having their defenses in such a deplorable condition that no resistance could be Off ered when a E uropean enemy
threatened them under the rule of Stuyvesant , the
same can be said Of the English on this occasion , and
after an attem pt at delay by negotiation , the city su rrendered and once more the flag Of Holland floated ff over this O spring of the land Of dykes and water .
Th e fo r second occupation , however , lasted only Of a short while , as the next year a treaty peace
between the two powers was signed at Westminster , b y which it was agreed that New Netherland would be given back to England in exchange fo r the Surinam
d a Colony in South America . At the present y it seems rather Odd that at that time it was conceded by the o t English that in granting this exchange , the Dutch g Of the best the bargain , but then again it should be remembered that in those times possessions in the tropical belt were valued much higher than those Of a
northern climate . And after all , considering that the English have been ousted fo r more than a century i from these , their erstwhile prov nces , and that Surinam even at the present day is still a Dutch m a u di d possession , it y be that the D tch get the better Of half the bargain after all . a n d The Un i ted Sta tes
Curiously enough , by the way , Surinam , which is called by English speaking people Dutch Guiana , takes its name from the Earl o f Surrey after whom it
u r r e h a m was named S y , and which was afterwards changed by the Dutch to its present form .
After having seen the Dutch flag hauled down fo r good i n the northern part Of the western hemisphere , let us analyz e the people wh o raised it here and who had to live o n in this country under new conditions . It has Often been claimed that representative government Of the people in the western hemisphere ,
o f i is not Dutch orig n , as some Of the English colonies had local governm ent long before a city charter was T granted to New Amsterdam . his cannot be denied , but at the same time it should be conceded that this was n o t due to a lack Of clamor for such government o n o f the part the people , as has been seen in the o f preceding pages , and which was the cause continuous disputes between the burghers and the
Governors . Moreover , conditions in the other colonies ff N O were di erent . greedy corporations held sway , and the fatherland was n o t engaged in a long lasting i war w th a mighty power , which required the full
o f attention the Government at home , while the Dutch d - at that time were , as they are to ay , a law abiding
n o t people , who would easily endeavor to Obtain by revolt against the acknowledged authorities what they could not gain by patient and persistent remonstration . They could also hardly afford to sever themselves from the Go vernment to which they looked for pr o t ec Of tion in time danger , surrounded as they were by savages who outnumbered them a thousand fold .
n o t o f They were , however , lacking in ideals poli tical and religi ous freedom such as they had learned Th e Du tch i n N ew Neth er l a n d
at home and which they transplanted to American soil . Even if they had a long struggle before they Obtained
fo r that freedom which they clamored , it should be noted that this struggle never ceased , and when at last the time came that these ideals won the field , the experience in popular government o n a larger scale than the administration Of local communities , which the Dutch had gained in their fatherland , was Of great importance in forming the first confederacy in later years .
In other matters , which are now the fundamental o u r principles Of great republic , the Dutch were far ahead Of their English neighbors . Religious freedom was an acknowledged right , and , in those days , a o f h o w factor no mean importance , and we have seen Stuyvesant incurred the general disapproval when he tried to meddle with this principle . Public education stood o n a far higher level than anywhere else in the world , and no distinction was made between boys and i g rls , both going to the same schools and receiving the same education , being the same principle which is adhered to in the present American public school
et system . In other countries this was as y something unheard Of , and the schooling which the girls received
Th e was generally Of a very limited character . schooling Of the children was considered a duty Of the Of d State , and it created a great deal issatisfaction and hostility when , under English rule , this item was Off Th e taken the list Of public charges . result was that this matter was tak en in hand by the Dutch
ca n - d a churches and , as we see to y in Canada how instrumental church education is in retaining the Old national tongue and customs , it will readily be seen how this drastic measure o f the English aided to keep the Dutch together as o n e unit in an English colony. a n d The Un i ted Sta tes 47
O wing to the greater freedom Of speech and the r u w itten word in the Dutch Rep blic , printing presses h a d plenty Of work and , as a result , books were cheap . They were obta in a ble fo r everybody and led to a
a a n o c broader educ tion d more liberal ideas . Such cu r r e n ce s a s burning o f witches would have been
eth er l a n d impossible in New N , as the people were too well read a n d to o enlightened to make such things possible .
w e In those days , hen newspap rs were not yet in
a existence , politic l events were considered fitting
to material for sermons from the pulpit and usually ,
o r t o a be a Domine preacher , meant be a h rsh critic Of the Government . Especially Domine Bogardus was i an ardent ag tator , and when the good burghers pre
o u a fo r pared themselves Sund y divine service , they could be assured that they would n o t have to complain Of about the dulness the sermon , which goes to show that New York Of tod ay is n o t so very diff erent from
New Amsterdam after all , as every New Yorker will admit .
They were plain and truly democratic people that
. came to these shores in those days The long struggle T h e D em o c r a against the common foe in the time Of the reformation ti c D utch had levelled caste prej udice , and nobleman and peasant had fought side by side against the Spanish
N O a oppressors . roy l court , with retinue of lordly followers , was known in Holland , and the foremost men Of the republic were those who had distinguished themselves by valor , strategy, diplomacy or superior knowledge . All were alike and equal , and it was only during the E nglish period that an aristocracy was formed o u t o f the followers belongi ng to the Gov ern
’ o r s retinue . The Du tch i n N ew N ether l a n d
It is difficult to imagine that such people should
Of b i z consist mainly g, stout , la y fellows , spending the d ay in smoking tobacco out Of long churchwardens
and filling in the rest Of the time in drinking gin , as some Of the caricaturists Of later d a y so fondly picture them especially when it is remembered that the s m o k I n g Of tobacco was n o t in common usage in Hol b ut Co n land in those days , was adopted from the n i cut ect English .
to Referring domestic life , we might also cite the d i fli cul ti e s Of i Tro ub l es o f th e the housew ves in Obtaining suitable
w ves . h o us e i help In the early days every woman was , as a matter u to Of co rse , her own cook and had attend to every
thing herself .
As prosperity came and work in the house and on
the farm multiplied , help had to be found , and as this O could not be btained in the colony , girls had to be
sent from Holland . There were a great many single
young men in the colony , who left the fatherland
attracted by the possibility Of an adventurous life , and who were eager suitors for the hand Of the maidens Th e i from home . result was that the housew ves did not remain long in possession Of the newly acqui red domestic treasures and as these usually came o u t u nder some kind Of a contract , the passage money vi e b ha ng be n paid for y her mistress , many were the cases Of breach Of contract which were brought before i for the mag strate his learned decision , and apparently they were usually decided in favor Of the wooing
swain .
B y a n d b y it b ecame pos sible to train the Indians to u do ho sework , which helped a little , and afterwards th ese were supplemented b y the negro sla
Th e Du tch i n N ew Nether l a n d
I I d i e d h . e Charles , however , before had signed the
o f document , and his successor the Duke York and
Albany , refused to complete the work begun by his h brother , and sent secret instruction s that t e charter
should be forthwith repealed .
It s hould be mentioned that it was in this charter
fo r that , the first time in any such document , the ex ” Th e P eo l e pression , p was used , which , in the later
to o f days , was become a term such sovereign meaning .
o f It was under the rule King James II . under which name the Duke Of York and Albany ascended
the throne Of England , that the rights Of the people
were ignored in the most arbitrary manner . Not
withstanding all grants and charters , King James
n e united New England and New York in o province , appointing as Governor Of the n ew territory Governor n wh o Andros Of Boston and recalling Do gan , , though
an Irish Catholic , was esteemed by Protestants and
Catholics alike . Under Governor Andros a law was passed forbidding the bolting Of meal in any place in Y the province except New ork , which naturally great l y irritated the rural population and the inhabitants
Of the inland towns .
History tells us that the Englishmen at home did not fare better than the colonists in America regarding Kin g Ja m es I I n d eth r o n ed infringement Of their rights ; oppression in E gland led
to the revolt against King James , who fled from his 1 6 88 country in December , and the invitation to Will G iam III . Of Orange to take up the reins of overnment .
After William III . had been proclaimed king of Eng A b land , Governor ndros was taken prisoner y the C Of people Of Boston , where a ommittee Safety was
organiz ed to take charge of public a fiai r s . a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes
The province was consequently left without a direct representative Of the reigning sovereign , while the
o f royal governor New York , Nicholson , had fled , and the remaining O fficials were all appointees and agents
Of the King wh o had been overthrown .
Something had to be done to safe -guard public order and to protect private property ; and , as in Boston , a Committee Of Safety was organiz ed which selected
Jacob Leisler to be commander Of the fort .
Jacob Leisler was the so n Of an exiled French H ugu e n o t minister , who had fled to Frankfort in Ger O many, where Jacob was born . riginally he enlisted as a soldier in the service Of the Dutch West India
Company , and rapidly rose to higher rank , came afterwards to New Netherland , where he prospered and at the time Of this episode , was a merchant and a j udge .
As the representatives Of the new King did not a p pear as soon as expected , Leisler was elected Gover
o f o f nor the province , and was assisted in the task governing by a council chosen by the community . Exceptional circumstances necessitate exceptional Of measures , and though the placing in power Leisler was done without consultation with the Government at home , for which there was no opportunity , (and the absence Of which opportunity was in fact th e reason why this power was conferred upon him) his assumption Of the Ofli ce seemed the wisest course pos sible under the circumstances , and a s he took up the
o f z reins government by the wish Of his fellow citi ens , Of he can hardly be accused Of usurpation power . It
ur is therefore rather remarkable that the Dutch Ch ch , w Of which had al ays been on the side the people , in this case sided with the royalists , the dismissed digui Th e Du tch i n N ew N ether l a n d taries Of King James ; and that the Domines de n o u n ce d Leisler from the pulpit as a rebel and a usurper .
Undoubtedly this was due to a great extent to the fact that the rich aristocracy , as represented by these C dignitaries , had become a mighty factor in the hurch
o r and that the Domines were well aware that , sooner later , this class would again be uppermost in the
u Th o ul a comm nity . e plain people and the rural p p tion however sided with the L eisler party and were greatly embittered against their pastors , and this led O f to open acts hostility, so that many Of the clergy Of had to flee from the city, while one them was thrown into prison .
In the meantime the community was anxiously Of b ut awaiting the agents the new Government , , as may be expected after the overthrow Of a ruler , so b e many matters had to attended to at once , that the aff airs of the far -Off colonies could not be taken in A t l o u h te r han d immediately . last S g was appointed Governor ; he was shipwrecked in the Bermudas an d sent on Captain Ingoldsby ahead Of him , who , on his N e w Of arrival at York , demanded surrender the fort ,
n but as he came without credentials , his dema d was
r l o u h t er natu ally refused . Three months later S g arrived , and the administration was handed over to him ; whereupon Leisler , at the instigation Of his
o n enemies , was arrested the charge of treason , and
-i n - b . the same fate befell his son law , Mil orne T hey were tried and condemned to be hanged , while their property was confisca ted ; but S l o u gh t er before signing the sentence , wished to get the sanction
Of the King, so they were placed in prison awaiting the reply from England . Such delay, however , hardly a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes 5 3
u u s ited the royalists , who arranged a banq et to which the Governor was invited . Later in the evening , after heated arguments and under the influence o f strong drink , the death warrant was placed before A him for his signature and he yielded . fter this sig nature had been Obtained , the royalists were not slow
o n 16th o f M a in executing the sentence , and the y Leisler and Milborne were hanged and buried near u the gallows , on the site of present Tribune B ilding , in Nassau Street .
’ Afterwards Parliament legali z ed Leisler s action and Queen Anne repealed the confiscation Of his and Mil
’ borne s property , it being restored to their respective 1698 heirs . In the bodies were exhumed and buried in the Dutch Church in Garden street , now Exchange
Place . 1690 F It was about this time , in , during the rench
of and Indian wars , that the Dutch settlement in the D es tructio n S chen ec a d Mohawk valley , Schenectady , was burned , and the t y Of maj ority the inhabitants murdered . It is claimed that the name Schenectady is Of Indian origin , but we cannot help thinking that the original Dutch name Of
—ch t e n b e e k the settlement , Schoon E , may have some 1689 thing to do with the later title . In Montreal had Of been destroyed by the Mohawks , the allies the
English and Dutch , leaving a score to be settled by the French .
Though the settlement at Schenectady was sur a rounded by palisade , provided with gates , years Of undisturbed peace had made the colonists careless , On and at night the gates were usually left Open . a winter night the French swooped do wn upon the 60 25 hamlet and killed Of the inhabitants , only about
c . es aping , wh ile the village was burned Later , the place was rebuilt but for many years condition s in the Th e Du tch i n N ew Neth er l a n d
valley remained unsettled , until the taking Of Canada fo r by the English , and it was quite customary the farmers to start for their work in the field armed with
muskets .
Though the famous pirate , Captain William Kidd ,
n o t a n d h a s C ap ta in Kid d was Of Dutch descent , no connection with the story Of the Dutch in America ( n o th wi th sta n d i n g he married a D utch lady) he has become such a h ero
Of folklore , especially in the youthful mind , that in filling out o u r canvas we must n o t omit to mention
him here .
O f During the period which we have spoken , piracy
on the high seas had been Of regular occurrence , and as the colonies did not have enough men -Of-war to pro
e te t shipping along the coast , it had become customary to provide private vessels with commissions as pri
e r s v a t e m e n to pursue pirates . Such commission was granted by Governor B e l l o m o n t Of N e w Yo r k to Ca ptain m Willia Kidd , but soon afterwards the news reached the Governor that the privateersman had turn ed pirate
fo r s himself . This lasted about two year , when Cap tain Kidd h ad the audacity to appear with his ship in
z Boston Harbor , where he was sei ed and imprisoned .
G B el l o m o n t H e appea l ed to overnor , claiming that
whatever he had done on the high seas , had been done t on the streng h Of his commission as privateersman ,
l m s and that certain Eng ish vessels , which had y t er i o u sl b y disappeared , had not been molested y him . Th e action Of Governor B el l o m o n t in this matter gave rise to the rumor that he had shared part Of the plunder to C and therefore endeavored protect aptain Kidd , r who afterwards confessed to some Of his crimes , e sul ti n g in the discovery Of some Of his booty in ’ Gardiner s Island in Long Island Sound . Captain
Kidd was subsequently hanged , and it is claimed that a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes a large part Of his plunder still lies buried in the san d along the Long Island coast , awaiting discovery by some lucky adventurer wh o may happen to strike the righ t spot .
Although , during the term Of existence Of New
n Netherla d , differences continually arose between its Governor and those Of the n eighboring English
Colonies regarding territorial rights , the Dutch and English people had always been o n a good footing
fo r with each other , and it is this reason that in after years , under the English Governors , no distinctly
Dutch party existed , as such , in Opposition to the
English factors . There was , however , the party Of
fo r the People , clamoring freedom and the right to be
th e o represented in affairs Of the Government , as p posed to the royalists who sided with the agents Of the Government across the water , and it was with the
e xce former party that the Dutch sided , with few p tions .
th e There was , Of course , Dutch Church party , but this was a matter Of religion , as they insisted on the
o wn right to worship in their way , without the inter o f w e ference the Government , hich tri d to force the Episcopalian Church upon the colonies ; and in this opposition the Dutch sided with the English Puritan s , n o t o n account Of intolerance towards the Episcopali o n ans , to whom they bore no malice , but account Of the old principle that full freedom in matters Of r e l i i o n g should be allowed , to all the People without n interference o the part Of their Rulers .
In relating the story Of the Dutch in America , we should therefore have to fall back upon the narrative T h e D utc h d ur in g th e wh o Of the exploits Of those individuals , during the R evo lutio n ary u co rse Of later events , especially shone out amongst W a r 5 6 Th e Du tch i n N ew N ether l a n d their fell o w citi z en s ; this would lead us a good deal
u . f rther than space permits It may be said , however , that during the Revolutionary war the Dutch o f New
York carried their share Of the burden , and did their full duty b y the community o f which they formed a part . And if in the historica l record s we find afterwards n o t only comparatively few Dutch names , it should be forgotten , that , compared with the total population o f Of the United Colonies at the outbreak the war , the
Dutch formed only a small percentage , owing to the cessation Of emigration from Holland after the fall Of N e w N etherland . The development of the East and W - est Indian possessions , and the many wars in Eur
i n n ope which Holla d engaged in after years , de m a n d e d Of the services Of so many her sons , that few could be spared to add to the population of the colonies
Of a foreign power .
we r a b a e n d eav When read , howeve , out the e ger o r s Of the English authorities during the revolution to
m a capture the Dutch Domines , it y be concluded that
o f the Dutch Reformed Church , as under the rule the
West India Company , had remained a political factor , and that the followers of this faith w ere amongst the foremost fighters in the ranks Of the Continental Of Army. We may further mention the name General Schuyler as o n e Of the prominent American lead ers ; he had already gi ven proof Of his valor in the war Of F T the English against the rench in Canada . here is further Simeon de Witt , who was geographer in the army and afterwards rose to the rank Of staff Officer Of
. L a General Washington ater , fter the war was over ,
- Of Of he became Surveyor General the State New York .
It was in these days Of struggle that the new Co m m o n wea l th received suppor t from its elder - sister
Th e Du tch i n N ew N eth er l a n d ceased to be spoken in the erstwhile Dutch co m m u n iti e s u , English having become the niversal u lang age . The only remnant Of Dutch Institutions which still exists tod ay is the Dutch Reformed Church Of
A z merica , which , as an organi ation , had certainly flourished steadily enough during these centuries Of the changing and confusing influx Of foreign elements .
In looking back upon past events , it is with feelings o u r o wn of regret that we note how proud city , and
o u r the capital Of state , have retained the names
r placed upon them through an outbu st Of royal vanity, names which have no historical meaning and which should have vanished with the cessation Of the
English rule . We cannot help feeling that the Old names New Amsterdam and R e n ss el a er wyk ( o r B ev er wyk as it was originally called) would have conveyed to posterity a o f more fitting memory the past , and would have commemorated better than their present names , the pluck and courage Of our ancestors .
Ou r narrative has so far related the history Of the s early Dutch settlers and Of their de cendants , but after the recognition o f the United States of A merica b y
Europe , these descendants , as well as those Of the
English , Swedish and other early settlers , became A m er i ca n s , having no further connection with their
a n fatherlands , so that we cannot class them y more as anything but Americans . Of In speaking therefore the Dutch in America , in modern times , we have to refer to such Hollanders as emigr ated to the United States since the establish o f ment the Republic , and the followi ng pages are o f devoted to this new class settlers . a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes
Sundry causes led to a renewed influx o f Holla nders
a e n into the New World from this d te , the first b i g H o ll a n d L an d the outcome o f the formation Of the Holland La nd C o m p a n y
t o a Company referred bove , which induced farmers in Holland to leave their homesteads in the Old country and to devote their energy to the development o f lands in New York and Pennsylvania , which they n Offered o easy terms .
The many Dutch names o n the map o f the State o f
New York , such as , Barneveld , Amsterdam , Rotter d a rn i n k l a e n i . , Batav a , Tromp , L , etc , facilitate the task Of locating the section where these settlements i were orig nally started . From this time dates also the
H u i d ek o er arrival Of Harmen Jan p , so well known in the circles Of the Unitarian Church , who settled in T Meadville , Pennsylvania , where the Meadville heo logi cal School was afterward established . It was once a standard saying that if anybody inquired into the basic principles Of the Unitarian faith , the answer “ H ui d ek o er would be Nobody knows but p , and he
’ won t tell . A further tide Of travel toward the West set in from Eur ope o n account o f the political disturbances during Of the Napoleonic wars , when many the most ardent champions Of the popular party considered it advisable to leave the country after Holland became a k ingdom ’ under Napoleon s brother Louis . Among these politi a cal exile s were Colonel Adam G . Mappa and Adri a n van der Kemp , the former becoming afterwards Of agent the Holland Land Company , while the records Of Ulster County Court show that the latter held the office Of Assistant Justice in that district . The next emigration movement took place about 50 1848 years later , in , and we regret to say that this Th e Du tch i n N ew N ether l a n d
was caused through the curbing Of the freedom Of r e
l i i o n o n e fo r g , the ideal which the Dutch had fought so long a struggle and which in former years had been
the universal merit Of their fatherland , having been instrumental in bringi ng to its cities so many exiles Of
sterling worth , from other countries .
After the throne Of the Corsican had been over thrown and the European powers were once more
r e ~ separated by their former boundaries , Holland
mained a kingdom , but this time under the rule Of a O descendant Of the house Of range , King William I .
n However , the business Of bei g King , like any other , to has be learned , and it is rather remarkable that Wil
z o v liam I . did not reali e the necessity Of a liberal g
e r n m e n t for a people like the Dutch , but ignored all the
o f experience and precedents his ancestors . The Old form Of representative government was changed to a
bureaucratic rule , which was enforced with an iron
hand , and the aid Of the army, and which lasted until
the Dutch Government secured his abdication . He b was succeeded y his son , who ascended the throne
under the title Of William II .
b In the meantime several pastors , embittered y the
persecution which they endured , gathered their flocks aroun d them and set out in search of a new
home where they might find rest and freedom . Domine S ch o l te led his faithful followers to the val ley Of the
Mississippi , in Iowa , where they settled in Pella , from which settlement the n o w existing Dutch colonies in x Orange City , Siou Center and others ar e the Offspring
of later date .
Domin e van Raalte led his constituents to the shore s M ich a n an d ig u of lake Michigan , where they founded the comm n C h icago Of G s ities rand Rapid and Ho lland , i n after year s so a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes s well known for their furniture indu try. Also the
Chicago suburbs , Roseland and Pullman are prin ci p al l y settled by emigrating Dutchmen . Dutch colonies in the United States have further sprung up through the formation Of lan d com panies F r uit G r o w e r s in Holland , which peddled out their large purchases i n C alifo r n ia to u in America their enthusiastic fellow co ntrymen , emigrating in the hope Of soon doubling their wealth through the fabulous yield o f the rich virgin soils of these territories . Some succeeded , but many others “ discovered the truth of the Ol d adage it is n o t all ” h a d gold that glitters , and lost all they . In the fo r eighties instance , quite an exodus took place to - Off far California , where it was claimed that fortunes b ut could be made in the fruit growing business , when at last the new orchards began to yield a pro b duct , hard times set in an d no uyers could be
o n found for the crops , which rotted the trees . Another large Dutch centre can be found in Pater son . N . J . , where it is estimated that the Dutch colony, P a er so n N . . t , J including the first American born generation , counts about souls . Jersey has always been a Dutch section from the time Of the first settlement o f that
a n d tr region , many who intended to y their luck in n e w ur the world , were nat ally drawn to surround ings where they might find relatives or friends wh o had already a firm footing in the land which was to be their second fatherland . They were , or rather are , the emigrants from Friesland and Z eeland especially u who may be found in Paterson , and the cas al stranger , passing through North Main street , would hardly imagi ne himself on American soil if he pays o n attention to the names painted the shop windows , which gives the street more the aspect Of the principal tho roughfa re in a Frisian village . Th e Dutch i n N ew Neth er l a n d
Th e writer , who is himself a Frisian , remembers
o n how the occasion Of his first visit to Paterson ,
o n which was a Sunday , he happened to be in this
section Of the town , j ust at the moment that the good T O Off people were leaving Church . see , in this far
n th e land , the women with their natio al headgear , ‘ ‘ well known o o r yz e r and to hear them converse and o w n greet each other in their familiar style , in the
language Of our own northern province , was a real pleasure and it was even with a certain amount of
emotion that it came home to him , how even here , only an hour travel from the hustle and bustle Of the
Of o l d busy surroundings lower Manhattan , the familiar “ ” cheer fo r Fr ysl an b o pp e would be met with an
enthusiastic response . Another characteristic colony which should be men
ti o n e d n n is the settlement in Sayville , Lo g Island , o
S a v e . I . y ill . L o f Z the Great South Bay , consisting exclusively ee
land Oyster farmers , which village is the nucleus Of the
n oyster industry o Long Island . Like many other m a small commun ities , Sayville y boast Of its fore most citiz en wh o holds more o r less the same position “ as the squire in an English village . Philadelphia has also recently come into the fore ground as a Dutch community with its Holland P h ad e hia il lp , Society Of Philadelphia to which belong the many P a . Hollanders who follow a course Of study at the Phila
delphia Dental College , and who are destined to spread afterwards in the Old world the fame Of the
advanced scientific status Of American dentistry. There was a time when emigration to America in Holland was looked upon as being more o r less a dis Of grace , casting something Of a slur on the character the emigrant who set forth to tr y his fortune in the a n d Th e Un i ted Sta tes
n ew world . The origin Of this was found in the fact that no Extradition Treaty had been made as yet with the United States , which still Offered a haven Of refuge t o defaulters o r others wh o were fugitives from j ustice for acts committed in the Old country . More i f over , there was a black sheep in any family , the most convenient way to get rid Of him was to ship him
to fo r over to America and leave him shift himself .
Europe is comparatively small and distances short , so that a social exile ca n always find a way to get back to f his relatives , even from the remotest part o that
y continent , an enterprising rascal having man ways
fle sh o ts Of beating his way back to the p Of Egypt ,
n o t . h even if he has a penny in his pocket If , o w
h i s a ever , relatives placed large sheet Of water like the Atlantic Ocean between themselves and the deliu u q uent , it was looked upon as the s rest safeguard against the possible reappearance Of the afore men ti o n e d black sheep . T An Extradition reaty between the two countries , 1 87 2 however , was signed in , and since that time the United Sta tes were closed to the fugitives from Dutch j ustice .
In the same year the N ed er l a n d sch A m e r i k aa n s ch e ” to o m vaa r t M a a t sch a o r H o ll an d S p py in English , Nether Am er ica Lin e land American S t ea m n a vi ga ti o n Company was o r “ ” a n i z e d - g , briefly named Holland America Line .
This line is an Offspring Of a regular service insti tut ed between Rotterdam and New York by the firm w CO Of shipo ners , Messrs . Plate , Reuchlin 81 . Their steamers each had room for 10 first cabin passengers Of which two overnight had to be accommodated o n the benches in the d ining saloon ; couches which were too
t o o cold and uncomfortable in winter time , and in 6 4 Th e Du tch i n N ew Ne th er l a n d this season the ca rrying capacity was accordingly r e ff d uced to eight persons . This made no di erence however , as in winter such a crowd Of passengers as
v z . ten persons , were ne er expected to materiali e
T h e Holland -A merica Line started its regular ser vice with the two following steamers “ T S . S . Rotterdam with a tonnage Of ons ” o f T S . S . Maas with a tonnage ons having a speed Of 10 knots and a carrying capacity Of
40 first cabin passengers , 35 s econd cabin passengers ,
and steerage passengers , and if we compare these tiny ocean carriers with the “ ” f S . o latest leviathan Of this line , the S Rotterdam , Tons Register and Tons displacement ( one Of the five largest vessels in the Atlantic pas
n a n senger trade , and u surpassed by y steamer in comfortable and luxurious equipment) we must co n gratulate the enterprising Directors with the phe n m e n al u o s ccess Of their line . In mentioning the Dutch mercantile marine in i connection w th the United States , we may also point to the progress made by the Royal Dutch !Vest India
T z u Mail . his company originally organi ed a reg lar mail service between Amsterdam and the Dutch West
Indian colonies , afterwards extending the route Of travel to New York and returning again to Holland b ’ y way Of the West Indies . Since last year a separate weekly service has been Opened b y special steamers between the colony of Surinam and New York , which vessels have b een especially fitted up for the carr ying of bananas for the New York market , while they also have excell ent passenger accommodation .
’ Tl ze B uzell i n N ew N ef/zer l a n a
o r o f a industrial life the great city and , taken s a
whole , they are reckon ed as foremost to a remarkab le degree amongst their colleagues in each particular e o f u spher occ pation .
T N e w his condition not only exists in York , but we
find Hollanders scattered all over the Union , engaged m T in the ost varied occupations . hrough the large financial in terests o f Holland in several of the Western
Railroads , quite a few Dutchmen are connected with
s . T these enterprise In Port Arthur , exas , a Dutch i land company , with Dutch employees , s engaged in Th e aiding to develop this port . City of Galveston , almost entirely destroyed by the great hurrican e and
flood of a few years ago , has her city lev el raised by a T Dutch contracting firm . In exas we find Dutch rice farmers and even in the Dominion of Our Lady o f the Snows ; we find Dutch importing hou ses in the cities
o f Toronto and Winnipeg .
- u In a Holland American Almanac , p blished in 8 18 3 , more especially written for the benefit of intend P rofes s ion a ls ing emigrants , we find the rather curious warning a m i a n s s e gr t “ n o that there is bread for professionals in America , and that it is o nly advisab le fo r skilled laborers and - T servant girls to come to the United States . hough we are at a loss to understand what is exactly meant “ ” s s b y professionals , we presume that thi refer to people following v ocations which requ ir e some learn v ing . Perhaps conditions ha e changed since then , b ut if o ur interpretation o f the expression cited above i o ut o f be correct , we might po nt to the writer this ” almanac many examples of professional men
u r amongst o fellow countrymen , who hav e been v ery r o su ccess ful here . In fact , there is room for all p ov u e e f essions , pr ided the yo ng men who com ov r here ’ a n d Til e U n i l ea S l a fes
s possess the necessary knowledge , courage and per e v er a n ce to grapple with their new life in a strange
Th e ul o f i n country . pop ation the United States creases yearly about one and a half million , mostly through emigration , and , as the optimistic American “ ” we n eed t/zem a l l u is wont to say . This co ntry is
o f n o f o o r tu only beginning to grow , and fers ple ty pp n i ty fo r those wh o come wi th the firm intention o f T f o n . o u succeeding his , as a matter co rse , depends b b e personal a ility and inclination , and it mu st ex
ect ed p that , notwithstanding the opportunities , the “ weak ones must be failures and fall by the way , even sooner than they would at home , where the hel ping hand o f relatives o r friends m ay be more promptly available .
to Referring again conditions in New York City, n o t it should be concluded that in our city there exists E en d r a ch t u o f 1864 no nucle s Dutch social life . Away back in M aak t M a c ht “ there was founded the society E en d r a ch t M a ak t ” fo r Macht , having its obj ect the promotion of social l ife amongst the Hollanders , while a fund was further created for support o f its members in case o f sickness
o f o f and for the defraying funeral expenses . Most b o f the mem ers this society , however , were , ( and
o are) , people of limited means , who could not g much ur o f f ther than the occasional hiring a hall , where their meetings were held , and their annual St .
Nicholas celebrations took place .
1 901 o f Thus matters stood , when , in , some our Hollanders endeavored to bring enough of the s cat t er e d elements together to organi z e a dinner at the “ ” ’ o f Holland House , in celebration the Queen s r ma riage in February of that year , which proved such a success that it was decided to repeat this again some time during the next winter season . ’ Tlze Da te/z i n N ew N et/z er l a n a
o The foll wing year the Hollanders met again , this “ ” a o f time at the M nhattan Hotel , under presidency
’
C . Her Maj esty s Minister at Washington , D . . , W . A
F . Baron Gevers . At this gathering , His Excellency took the initiative in submitting a plan to bring the several Dutch elements o f this city permanently to
e th er l a n d gether , either by the creation of a N Cham
o f o r ber Commerce , a Club , or a Benevolent Society , all three ; and a committee was at once appointed to take these matters under con sideration , and to report at a later date .
o u r w Before proceeding with narrative , we ish to extend a word o f than ks to Baron Gevers fo r his ini
i ti e i n T h e o f t a v this matter . possibility creating
n ff somethi g by united e ort had often been discussed , but nobody had ever seriously tried to bring it about .
Most o f the Hollanders were comparatively strangers to each other . The wr iter remembers how during the
o f first years his soj ourn in this city , he only occa s i o n a l l o f i y met any his fellow countrymen , ow ng to
o u r r the enormous distances in city , and the g eat variety o f occupation o f the Hollanders in New York .
The first outcome of the deliberations of this Co m m i tt e e o n 28th 1903 o f was the incorporation May the , ,
T/ze N eth er l a n d Clz a m ber o Co m m er ce i n A m er i ca f , 68 o f with offices at Broad Street , which , in October 136 Th e last year , were moved to Water Street .
n o w o f Chamber is in the seventh year its existence , and during that period has received numerous i n
u i r i e s q for information , as well from merchants in i m Holland and the colonies , as from exporters and
i n porters the United States . The annual reports gi ve a synopsis of its activities and events have shown that the Chamber provides for existing needs in the ‘ a n d 7 716 Un i ted S fa zes commercial relations between the United States and the Netherlands .
The organi z ation in n o w engaged in a campaign placing before the public the facilities o f the port of
o n o f Willemstad the island Curacao , which promises to become the centre o f maritime traffi c in the Carib
o f bean sea , after the opening the Panama Canal , and it was with great satisfaction tha t it recently learned
f o f o the formation a syndicate in Holland , having as obj ect the enlargi ng o f the shipping facilities at that port .
The formation o f the Chamber of Commerce was followed a few months later by the incorporation o f “ “ T/ze N eZ/zer l a n d Cl u b o N ew Yo r k f , which opened 47 25 th O o f its Club building at East Street , in ctober “ the same year . This club has become a real Dutch ” Hom e in New York and is n o w the rende z vous o f most travelling Hollanders wh o come to o u r city .
wh o Many a young Hollander , has come to New
York as a total stranger , has profited by the advice and information to be gathered among these homelike surroundings , which formerly he would have had to learn by hard and expensive personal experience , and n o t a fe w have succeeded in obtaining positions through the a ssista nce and influence o f acquaintances made in this Club .
It was through the initiative o f the o fi ce r s o f the “ a N e therl nd Club that H . M . protected cruiser Gel ” d e r l a n d visited the port o f New York in the summer o f 19 0 7 , and the enthusiastic welcome which the
ffi o n o cers and crew received that occasion , from
Americans as well as from Hollanders , has demon str a te d the bond o f friendship which still exists so Ol d strongly between and New Netherland . T/ze D a l e/z i n N ew Nether l a n d
After these two organi z a tions had been launched in 1 903 a m , it was considered inadvis ble to atte pt at the o f l same time the formation a benevo ent society , as quite a demand had been made already upon the
o u r generosity of small community , in order to get the
o n P Chamber and the Club a firm footing . In ebru
1 908 e ary , , the proj ect was , howev r , brought up again , and a committee appointed to prepare the necessary plans A few months later the plans were complete ,
' ‘ ’ and Tlz e N ez l ze r l a fla B en e vo l en f S oezefy of N ew ” 1 z Yo r k i fi 1 . . w th of ces at Broadway , was organi ed
to Her Maj esty , Queen Wilhelmina , was petitioned favor the n ew society by becoming its Protectress , which petition was favorably received . During the
o f i first year its activ ty , following the financial and
o f 1907 commercial panic , this society has already
o f done a good deal work , by either assisting stranded
Hollanders with loans in ready money , by procuring
o f b o b them a place refuge , or y aiding them in taining work .
Though these organi z a tions are now well under way and to the best of their ability endeavoring to
e fo r answ r the purposes which they were created , it should n o t be imagined that are all as prosperous as might be the case .
In o u r colony there are comparatively few wh o are r well to do , so that the bu den of all these societies o n o n e falls the small community . Also the work to be done is o f such nature that it has to be taken up in turn by a very few of the same small circle . It is therefore of the utmost necessity that they retain the support of their patrons in Holland and of all those
o f who , directly or in directly , reap the benefits o u r activity for the national cause . ' ‘ a n d Tae U n z zed Sl a tes 7 1
In drawing a picture of social life amongst the n o t Hollanders in New York , we may omit to mention
f u r th e d o o . ean colony , Mr John Rutger Planten , the
- o f Consul General the Netherlands in New York , who has n o w been in the consular service for over 3 5 years . During these years he has gained many friends through his genial manners , universal kindness and his ever ready willingness to lend a helping hand whenever his assistance is requested to further a good cause .
The general respect and friendship o f the Dutch Colony towards him was demonstrated by a reception tendered to Mr . Planten last winter , to celebrate the
- fifth o f h i s u thirty anniversary appointment as Cons l ,
’
h r . . . L o n d o n and when Her Maj esty s Minister , J Dr J , announced that Her Maj esty had commissioned him
o f o f to inform Mr . Planten Her appreciation his service , as a token whereof She conferred upon him “ ” o f e d e r l a n d s ch e the order De N Leeuw , the hearty cheers which were heard told better than many wr itten volumes how beloved he is by his fellow citi z ens ; we hope sincerely that for many years to come we may have him among us .
This is , in short the history of the Dutch in these
to regi ons , from their first advent the present day . Many have come before us and many will come after us , and it is more especially for the latter that this
b e booklet has been written , so that they may know , fo r fore starting out to make history themselves ,
o f what their predecessors have don e . A word advice to o ur young and inexperienced countrymen who come to this country to make it their future home ,
n o u m ay therefore o t be t of place . They will come to 7 2 Tae B u Ze/z i n N ew N eZ/zer /a n d a strange land with a very m ixed population and r ff strange mann ers , mate ially di ering from those they T knew at home . hey will be apt to make compari sons and the sum o f their conclusions will always be
o f n u r in favor conditions in the fatherla d . O advice
’ — d o i t — n o — is , don t , make comparisons , take things as they are , for all your criticism and grumbling will n ff o u o t make things di erent . Whatever y may think
o r strange unj ust , be assured that there is a reason fo r a n d t o o o u it , usually a very good reason , . If y
’ n o u don t like things America , y may be certain that o u d o America will not change because y not approve ,
o n t o o u . but , the contrary , America is likely change y Grumbling and diss atisfaction wi th things as they are will only make you unhappy and unfit , but the world
o n wi ll go j ust the same . Just as American ways t o o u may seem peculiar y , so your ways may seem to to o t o o Americans , but usually they will be polite and m a . T experienced to m ke any re arks about it herefore ,
cr i ti z i s i n in g, do not forget that it may be once again
f o u the case o the mote and the beam . When y are in
d o n o u co m e to , d . y Rome as the Roma s o When r s h o w America , be an American , and you will oon find much good there is in this country which is n o t
ff o u l found elsewhere . If a country o ers y hospita ity , it may expect that yo u d o your duty by it and give it
- o r your hearty co operation . Whether Dutch Eng
o r o r lish , German Irish , Swede or Italian , Jew
t o Gentile , we are all alike and all have give the best that is in us to further th e welfare of the Union an d the prosperity o f the country . You earn American
Dollars and eat American bread , and therefore , be
American . Do no hold aloof because the strangers you meet have other ideas and other view s of things
o u i than y have . Mingle w th the crowd and they will
A L B E R T H E P P Gt
P R I N T E R S
N E W Y O R K C I T
Un ive rs ity o f Califo rnia S OUTHERN REGION A L LIB RA RY FA CILITY 3 05 De N eve Drive Pa r kin g Lo t 1 7 0 Bo x 95 1 3 88 LOS A NGELES A L F RN A - , C I O I 9 0095 1 3 88
Return this material to the ib rar fro m which it was r w l y b o ro ed .