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Home , Canals of Amsterdam, Flushing Remonstrance, Henry Hudson

1609

The forgotten history of Hudson, and 1609

The forgotten history of Hudson, Amsterdam and New York Foreword

On April 4th 1609 the ship Half Moon under Captain Henry Hudson sailed from Amsterdam harbor to find a shorter route to Asia. In this pamphlet Geert Mak and Russell Shorto report on the events that occurred in 1609 and the consequences of this legendary voyage that would accidentally bring Hudson to New York. Today New York is the city where talent from all parts of the world converges; it’s an economic and cultural power center, diverse and brimming This special commemorative history has been generously underwritten by with energy. In this book we retrace history: what is the legacy of the in the city

We also thank many HH 400 supporters: City of Amsterdam, that was originally called ? New York Stock Exchange Foundation, NYC & Company Foundation, Province of Noord-Holland, DHV Group, Chamber of Commerce Amsterdam, Océ Inc., Vesteda Group BV, Feadship, The arrival of Henry Hudson in New York International Flower Bulb Centre, Port of Amsterdam, Horwath de Zeeuw & has been celebrated before. In 1909 the 300th de Keizer, Holland America Friendship Foundation, Aegon N.V. anniversary was the biggest celebration ever held Concept: Franz Houter, Klaas Pater and Gert Tetteroo in New York. Fifty years later Princess Beatrix Acknowledgements (now Queen) of the visited New th Editor: Gerdy van der Stap York in honor of Hudson’s 350 anniversary Translations: Angela Haines, Gerdy van der Stap and was treated to a ticker tape parade along Design: Erik Rikkelman, Janneke Hendriks th Print: HelloGraphics Broadway. The 400 anniversary of Henry Illustrations: Dutch National Archives and Dutch Stock Exchange Foundation (Stichting VvdE) Hudson’s journey will be celebrated on both © 2009 Henry Hudson 400 Foundation sides of the Atlantic. The Henry Hudson 400 Foundation, organized in both Amsterdam and New York, will produce several major events and has also inspired many groups to plan exhibitions and programs. Our foundation will celebrate the venerable bonds between our two countries and our mutual passion for trade, freedom and diversity. We hope this commemoration will serve as a catalyst for trans-Atlantic cooperation in all areas in the 21st century.

We dedicate this book to a true Dutch- American who helped both Foundations greatly – Chris Devries – and to Captain Henry Hudson who became immortal as he explored the Geert Mak is journalist-historian who on the boundaries of the known – and unknown – world. history of the Netherlands wrote such best sellers We offer this volume on behalf of the Boards of as My Father’s Century and Amsterdam: A Brief Directors of Henry Hudson 400, Life of the City. Recently a television series was produced based on his book In Europe, a history Angela Haines, Gerard Jongerius, Patrick of Europe in the 20th century. Poelmann, Gert Tetteroo Amsterdam and New York, January 1, 2009 Russell Shorto is the author of a best seller on the Dutch origins of : The Island at the Center of the World and recently published Descartes’ Bones. He is a contributing writer at Magazine and director of the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam. Henry Hudson in Amsterdam

By Geert Mak of centuries, but Amsterdam was still young, what eitherforesaw. together –thoughin atotallydifferent wayfrom deal; in fact they would write world history would becomeinvolvedwitheachother agreat present-day rail traveler: the old harbor. acquaintance with the city at the same place as the Henry Hudson. The sailorprobablybeganhis journey he himself regarded as a failure, a certain who would achieve world fame because of a English sailor arrived in Amsterdam: a rash Briton The city had already existed for a couple The cityhadalready existedforacouple In themonthstofollowcityandsailor n the autumn of 1608 an houses in the now infamous red-light district, then would payhisrespects atoneofthemerchant the busieststreetsin thecity–andbeforehe thicket ofthe Warmoesstraat andtheNes–then flurry of activity, before he could penetrate the and everywhere bobbing ships, small and large. jetties, rottingbollards,woodenwatch houses, and tranquilwaterlandscape,along strip ofold transition area was located, a salty, sloshing other folk.Infrontofallthat,however, acurious of ships, cranes, dock-hands, workmen and and flags.Beyondlayacityonthemove;bevy masts and towers, riddled with sails, pennants the CentralStationnowstands,wasaforestof powerful fistthrustingintotheharbor. – now an old café you casually pass – was then a at present. A fortificationlikethe Weeping Tower Most ofthebuildingswerehalfsizetheyare bustle was of a totally different character too. approximately where its center now lies, and the Hendrik quay were still to be built. The city ended horizon. The big merchant houses at the Prince buildings andtowersweremissingonthetown that fall of 1608. Many currently well-known Our sailor first had to pass through this What Hudson saw, from the place where

13 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam city. the administrative and governmental heart of the course he often passed through the Dam Square, patrons residedintheEastIndiaHouse, andof place in the nearby Saint Olof Chapel. His other that most discussions about routes and maps took the merchantDirck Van Os,livedintheNes,so a coupleofminutes.Hismostimportant patron, For most of his business Hudson had to walk only lay packed tightly within its old walls and gates. year anarmisticewouldbesigned. The citystill negotiations had been started, and the following Dutch Republic was still at war with feudal Spain, still find in small German towns. While the young pointy, tiltingfacadessuchasyoucansometimes houses fromtheMiddle Ages stillexisted,with Here and there in Amsterdam rows of wooden one of the most important transitions in its history. . multinational companyintheworld,Dutch a universitycomplex,thenthecenteroffirst a brand new building: the East India House - now care of business, Hudson would make his way to home to one of the most stately of . To take But that same year, 1608, a new beginning Henry Hudsonperceivedthecityduring Netherlands. this new citizenry came from the Southern of Amsterdam hadtripledandahugepartof last decadesofthe 16 pig sties--largely habited by immigrants. In the houses or huts, often with vegetable gardens and districts--populated withworkshops, modest – especiallyaroundthewesterncitygate –lay in itsniches. Along thepaths andpolderditches dwellings” orinslumsagainstthecity wall,and in contemporaryjournals,living“humble remained outside the gates, as we can read design ofthisgrowingcity. definitive decisionswouldbemadeaboutthe that would enclose the old city. About a year later plus a working-class district and a town rampart was diligentlybeingdrawn:threegrandcanals, city expansionplaninEuropesinceRomantimes certificates. Furthermorethatwinterthegreatest currency in the world could be traded for stable the first time in the history of commerce any currency exchangeinaprofoundway. For and also an exchange bank that modernized exchange, auniquetradingplaceformerchants, was madewithsuchinnovationsasacommodity Meanwhile tens of thousands of newcomers Meanwhile tensofthousandsnewcomers th century the population

15 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam relative tolerance of the city administration, techniques andthanks tothem,alongwiththe refineries. They brought with them new painting craftsmen introduced the silk industry and sugar third of the Amsterdam staples market. Their from the Southern Netherlands controlled a products. Within one generation the immigrants connections and for artisans to produce luxury Republic therewasagreatdemandfor newtrade not alwayshappeninhistory. Intheburgeoning right time in the right place– something that does again, especially to Amsterdam. after thecollapseof Antwerp, theymovednorth peninsula, theyinitiallyarrivedin Antwerp. But displaced. At first driven north from the Iberian Inquisition, there were Sephardic Jews among the Because of the persecutions of the Spanish them their knowledge, skills and trade networks. had moved north to Amsterdam, taking with including manyrichmerchantsandartisans, of thousandsProtestantsandotherdissidents, Schelde, thelifelineof Antwerp’s harbor. Tens the DutchRepublichadblockedRiver Spaniards conquered the city in 1585, and All these immigrants arrived at exactly the All theseimmigrantsarrivedatexactlythe Antwerp had been deserted after the was feasible. crossing fromtheNetherlands toSoutheast Asia the journey, but one fact had been proven: a direct a distressing number of the crew did not survive only threereturned. The profitsweremeagerand were sent off, of which, after two long years, command of Cornelis de Houtman, four ships equip an expedition to the . Under the have dealingswith. They agreedtocollectively Arent ten Grootenhuys - men Hudson would later Reynier Pauw, Pieter Dircksz.Hasselaerand Warmoesstraat –amongthemDirck Van Os, met atthewinehouseofMartinSpilin and laterin Asia. InMarch1594ninemerchants the Portuguesetrademonopolyfirstin Africa, citizens of Amsterdam succeeded in breaching Dutch Republicthroughthegrapevine–that voyages ofexplorationthathadreachedthe along with their knowledge of the Portuguese being replaced by Antwerp slang. the traditional Amsterdam dialectwasgradually diamond industry. Even the language changed: the foundationsfortobaccotradeand international fame. The Sephardic Jews lay the Amsterdam publishing industry achieved It was because of these networks –

17 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam and shipping to Asia. Furthermore, theybuilt Company wouldmonopolize allDutchtradewith world. Fortwocenturies theDutchEastIndia India Company: the first multinational in the Indische Compagnie(VOC) or the Dutch East Southeast Asia merged intotheVerenigde Oost- losses would be limited. most risky ventures: even if they all failed, their companies –theDutchmerchantsfinanced the such jointenterprises,namedcompagnieën – share in the ownership of tens of ships. Through part: sometimes only a tenth, or in some cases a ship ownerdidnotownaship,butbought gamble was to share the risk. An Amsterdam gold. The Dutch approach to this high stakes included rubber, ivory, sugar and from Africa, more thangold. Along withpepper, tradealso century a safe trade route to the East was worth from Lisbon declined dramatically. In the 17 Southeast Asia; the number of seafarers that sailed could not maintain their trade monopoly to 65 ships had set sail for the East. The Portuguese the richSpiceIslands,andby1602animpressive and thesouthernprovinceofZeelandsetsailfor In 1602 the companies that sailed Only one year later 22 ships from Holland th

East India Company share from September 1606, East India Companysharefrom September1606, certificate in the world that still exists, a Dutch the . The oldest stock in Holland, but he was also one of the founders of , oneoftheoldestpolders,orwetlands, Exchange Bankandheadedthereclamation ofthe and the Baltic states. He was a founder of the City grain- andwoodmerchant,tradingwith Russia who had made his fortune in Amsterdam as a a member of an eminent family from Antwerp person who would eventually sign his contract, growing city. OneofthemwasDirck Van Os,the this dynamiccommunityofimmigrantsinthe with the East. Asia was at least as important as European trade India, Ceylon(nowSriLanka)andtherestof among thenationsofSoutheast Asia, China, Asia. Forthismultinationalenterprisethetrade coasts of Africa andthearchipelagoofSoutheast but ultimately a business, that operated along the a tradingoperation,powerfulandviolentindeed, areas. The Dutch East India Company remained – though they never actually colonized these and in Southeast Asia – Batavia, today Jakarta fortifications attheCape–later – Town Henry Hudson was also confronted with

19 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam He was both the driving force behind several the most important map makers of the Republic. fierce Calvinistic clergyman, as well as one of had Romanizedhis nametoPetrusPlancius–a contact withtheFlemishPetrusPlatevoet –who funds that don’t shy away from risks. world’s stockexchanges, especiallyforhedge prices. This ploy is still a favorite activity at the hope that he could buy them back later for lower even selling more shares than he owned, in the India Company, hespeculatedonfallingprices, decided togetridofhisstakeintheDutchEast called “nakedshortselling.”In1609whenhe his mark in history as the inventor of the practice of this feud. The vindictive Le Maire has made companion Van Ostoo.Hudsonalsobecamepart of fraud, and probably fell out with his old later Le Maire left the Company after a charge the DutchEastIndiaCompany, butthreeyears a city in Belgium. Together they gave birth to Maire, alsoasoutherner, fromDoornik, today Russian trade in close partnership with Isaac Le Grootenhuys. is signedby Van Osandfellowdirector Arent ten That winter Hudson also had intensive For years Van Os had conducted his distinguished Spanish delegation to negotiate a distinguished Spanishdelegation tonegotiatea were ontheirway to The Hagueaspartofa Marquis Spinola and the diplomat Richardot who recounteditin hishistorictreatises. The Republic, astorysavedfromoblivion by Voltaire bidder prevailed. salvation, withincertainboundaries, the highest Even when it came to matters of the soul and partners. The Lutherans regained their rights. did notwanttooffend suchimportanttrading took astandfortheirfellowbelievers. They Baltic states, as well as the King of Denmark, they rapidly changed opinion when the Lutheran all was indispensable for further expeditions. But of hisglobes.Hiscartographicknowledgeafter as heprovidedthemwiththeresultsofhisstudy swallowed his theological disquisitions, as long the merchant mayors that governed the city doctrines. had a different viewpoint than he had in certain public servicesforLutherans,becausethey who in 1601 had pleaded for a prohibition of Company, andafundamentalisttheologian hazardous expeditionsoftheDutchEastIndia In 1608 a typical incident occurred in the At first Plancius succeeded in his mission;

21 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam the lifeand notionsofPetrus Plancius:theold- the pole. The samediversityofinterestmarked expeditions to Asia andtotheouteredgesof the richestmerchants oftheRepublic,sentout war of independence. Now Hasselaer, one of siege of Haarlem in 1573 during the Dutch young manplayedaheroicroleinthe Spanish For instance,PieterDircksz.Hasselaer, hadasa abruptly to this generation of citizens. power and wealth had arrived really quite had something to do with fact that prosperity, found itperfectlynormal. Without anydoubtit that even the elite maintained, though the Dutch could not stop remarking on the simple lifestyle in the weeks to come. The Spaniards and French delegation wouldhavetonegotiateonequalterms the Dutch delegation with whom the Spanish independent lordsandmasters.”Itwas,inshort, were: “ThesearethedelegatesofourStates, learned totheiramazementwhothesepeople provisions. From a nearby farmer the diplomats bread and cheese; everyone brought his own down onthegrassandconsumeamealofbeer, of tenmendisembarkasimplesmallboat,sit treaty with the Dutch. En route they saw a party Hudson’s patrons were multifaceted men. 17 fact aquarterofturn different. What disoriented first time:everything seemedfamiliar, butwasin Europeans nowadays who see America for the young Republic with the experiences of young compare the stories of foreign visitors of the being noticedbyanyone.” profit, that I could live here my whole life without 1635. “Everybody is so fulfilled with his own Descartes, whenhelandedin Amsterdam around doesn’t trade,”wroteFrenchphilosopherRené even respectability. higher scale than family connections, prestige, or nonexistent. The valuesystemplacedmoneyona in the sea provinces, feudal relations were almost of eitherhisauthorityorwealth.Especially modest and unfashionable clothing with no hint in aportraitbyJanRavensteynwearingdark, the rapidlychanging Amsterdam, asshown Company hadbeenthemayor, eighttimes, of Pauw, another director of the Dutch East India forerunner ofmoderncartography. And Reinier fashioned zealot who simultaneously was a open political debate, the shocking religious open political debate,theshocking religious th centuryvisitorsto Amsterdam wasthe The British historian J.L. Price would later “In thiscitythere’s notapersonwho

23 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam wanted to rapidly terminate the hostilities that Republic, Grand Pensionary Van Oldebarneveldt, mounted. The mostpowerfulofficialoftheDutch 1609, internal tensions about the war with Spain memory. social realitiesofthe16 school teachers and even servants. The harsh from mayors and merchants to clergymen, Companies appear thousands of names, ranging stock registers of the Dutch East and West India shared in the success of trade and shipping. In the known world. Throughout society Dutch people its way to becoming the financial center of the bordering on euphoria. Amsterdam was well on territories had been struck by a spirit of courage Europe that remained mainly medieval. was a small, prematurely capitalistic outpost in a ahead oftherestEurope.Or, asPrice argues, it economic andsociallife,theNetherlandswasfar followed themedievalguildstructure,butin old-fashioned too. The organization ofthetrades conservative. InsomewaystheRepublicwas humanism in a Europe that still was profoundly tolerance, the unlimited urbanization, and the new Still, during that winter of 1608 into Still, duringthatwinterof1608into In aword,sincethe1590’s thesecalm th century were a distant certainly did not want to hear about peace. certainly didnotwant tohearaboutpeace. founder oftheDutch EastIndiaCompany, Plancius the uncompromising Calvinist and lucrative of Spanish ships. And clergyman in Asia and South America, as well as to their peace treaty would put an end to their new trade other hand,themerchantsof Amsterdam feareda Southern Europe would resume quickly. On the argued, if peace returned, the declining trade with consumed agreatdealofmoney. Furthermore,he war and maintaining an army of 60,000 men disposed tothisstrategy, becausewaginga the Atlantic area. Van Oldebarneveldtwasnot if theDutchagreedtowithdrawfrom Asia and to recognize the Republic as a sovereign state for itsownreasons:theSpaniardswerewilling Amsterdam, supportedthePrince,butentirely peace party. Orangists, orroyalists,and Van Oldebarneveldt’s well. A raging pamphlet war occurred between the order to“liberate”theSouthernNetherlandsas to thethroneandwantedcontinuefightingin the stadhouder, PrinceMaurits,hadaspirations cost mounds of money and blocked free trade. Yet Meanwhile we know very little about the Meanwhile weknowverylittle aboutthe The power base of the Republic,

25 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam barrier, blocked byicebergs andotherobstacles, the surrounding,southern seas.Behindthecold that thepolewaswarmer –evenicefree-than area hadtogenerate somuchheatinthesummer the fivemonthsofcontinuoussunshine inthepole from the British adventurer Robert Thorne – that Chapel, Plancius propagated the theory – derived convinced ofthepossibilitiessuch apassage. north, encouraged by Petrus Plancius who was merchants hadsentoutthreeexpeditions tothe Fifteen years earlier, Dirck Van Os and his fellow waited inambushalongthesouthernroutes. long-lasting calms,plusthemanypirateswho It would avoid the problems with the heat, and route to Asia, around the Cape of Good Hope. offer important advantages over the existing Russia. Ifanorthernrouteexisted,itwould northwest via , or northeast, around Asia andChina. There weretwopossibleroutes: quests tofindanorthernpassageSoutheast last years had acquired a certain renown for his first grandchildhadjustbeenborn-whointhe old, anexperiencedcaptainwiththreesons–his turned up in Amsterdam, he was about forty years past ofourBritishsailor. When HenryHudson From behind his globes in the Saint Olof From behindhisglobesintheSaintOlof got wind of this predicament - knowing some got wind of thispredicament -knowingsome deserted him. When theDutchConsulinLondon eastern route also failed, after which his patrons second expedition in spring1608viathenorth- present…by thiswaythereisnopassage.” His in iceabundance… And thisIcanassureat “This morningwesawthatwere compassed his ship, but in the end he noted wryly in his log: even a whale that tried to surface while under hundred miles of the pole, he defied storms and west, he tried to go across it. He came within six instead of sailing around the pole via the east or in 1607,wasofanunprecedentedfoolhardiness: the London . His first voyage, find thenorthernpassage,underauspicesof these trips to the north halted. many generations of schoolchildren. Thereafter in one piece, with tales that would give chills to crew eventually managed to return to Amsterdam built out of wreckage. Twelve members of the members withstood a horrifying winter in a house ice ofNovaZemblainthe Artic Ocean.Crew Barentszoon in1596,wasstrandedthedrifting he speculated, a milder zone had to exist. Eleven years later Henry Hudson tried to Eleven yearslaterHenryHudsontriedto The lastDutchexpedition,ledby Willem

27 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam finally able to compare theory and experience In Amsterdam the famed cartographer was forced tofindanalternative routeto Asia. treaty wassignedwithSpain,theywould be first tofindone. Theyalsoknewthatifapeace trade monopoly;consequentlytheyhad tobethe passage could be hazardous for their lucrative expedition chiefly for political reasons: a northern for years. So they were interested in Hudson’s show this had worried the Board of Directors make an attempt by way of the north. Documents the southern routes, but everybody was free to possessed exclusiverightstotradewith Asia via facts were that the Dutch East India Company within as well as from outside the Republic. The to stayaheadofallpossiblecompetition,from agenda--this timenotfornauticalreasons,but a northernpassagewasonceagainhighontheir Company. the Amsterdam ChamberoftheDutchEastIndia of 1608,fortheNetherlands,atrequest Thus our sailor set sail from London, in the spring northern passage - he referred Hudson to them. Amsterdam merchants were still interested in the Petrus Plancius had his own motives. For Dirck Van Os and his fellow merchants, merchant, co-founder of the Dutch East India Le Maire,therich and embittered Amsterdam particulars. they evenmanagedtopumpPetrusPlancius for mapmakers haddoneearlierwiththe Portuguese; from the Dutch – just as Dutch sailors and tried to ferret out as much information as possible route. The French ambassadors in The Hague possibly via a still-to-be discovered northern recently themonarchwasintenton Asian trade, He hadsentexpeditionstoCanada,butmore modernize Frenchtradewithasimilarenterprise. King, HenryIV, whowantedofexpandand Company hadcometotheattentionofFrench The hugesuccessoftheDutchEastIndia occurring, adiplomaticintriguewasunfolding. the pole. and therewerereportsaboutanopenseaaround animals inthefarnorthonpreviousexpeditions, polar region. Hudson thought he had seen grazing speculation ontheexistenceofarelative“warm” and Plancius tremendously, especially in their Their exchange of ideas encouraged both Hudson in conversationswithourundauntedexplorer. But their biggest ally turned out to be Isaac But theirbiggestally turnedouttobeIsaac At the same time as their discussions were

29 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam without French intervention. This armistice would Spain would hurt the Dutch East India Company, rightfully assumed theanticipatedarmisticewith suspend talkswith Hudsontoo,sincetheFrench especially from Zeeland. And Le Maire had to their colleaguesinotherpartsofthecountry, certain hesitations, they needed permission from wanted to send Hudson on his way, despite chamber of the Dutch East India Company place thatfallof1608. Although the Amsterdam East India Company. French the same information he gave to the Dutch decline initially, and he openly shared with the join the service of King Henry IV. Hudson didn’t everything in his power to encourage Hudson to French ambassadorshowthatLeMairedid approached the sailor directly. Records of a why Hudson had been summoned to Amsterdam, sense of urgency. Le Maire, who knew exactly much aware of this possibility, which fuelled their Dutch East India Company directors were very Company astheperfectvehicleforrevenge. The diminish themonopolyofDutchEastIndia Le MairesawtheFrenchinitiativethatwould Company, who was expelled from the enterprise. Thus a silent war over the explorer took middle of a swampland, and the street pattern of it remainedanold-fashioned watercity, inthe working and living districts. At the same time city with – unique for that time- separate plan Amsterdam hadtobecome anultramodern and reservoir of the water. With this urban they wouldalsoprovideasystemof transport along which the citizens would parade, while were an inventive way to create boulevards of wealth and the style of the 17 was one typical outcome of the fast accumulation The plantoconstructthecanalsof Amsterdam ways that would determine the course of history. between old and new, modernity and tradition, in winter of1608into1609,astensionsmounted course. barely. Historyeasilymighthavetakenanother set sail under the flag of the Republic, but just contract, butitwastoolate.HenryHudsonwould sum of money to also persuade Hudson to sign a Alarmed, theFrenchKingsentLeMaireavast opportunity tosignacontractwithHudson. wind of Hudson’s double play, they used this put theirplansinawholedifferent perspective. It was a period of historic fault lines, that It wasaperiodofhistoricfaultlines,that When the Dutch East India Company got th century. Canals

31 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam during the 17 Company ranked as the world’s biggest enterprise with the same dualism. On the one hand the expense. lodged more than eight hundred orphans at public Aalmoezeniersweeshuis, an orphanage, frequently grew into– for that time – enormous sizes. The much bigger city than medieval Amsterdam, they institution. Since those institutes had to serve a continued toexist,asdidnumerablecharitable strong medieval traits. The guild associations with the past, the urban society also maintained Middle Ages in Holland. Despite the breach and ditchesthathadbeenthepatternsince copied thecleverrhythmofpolderpathways the future workman’s district, the , neatly and five administrators of smaller cities. Nobody members from Amsterdam, four from Zeeland, gentlemen. This board was made up of eight assembly oftheHeren Zeventien ; theseventeen because power lay in the hands of a collective: the famous 17 individual entrepreneursandmerchants ofthe It’s no coincidence that hardly any names of time itwasrunlikeamedievalpolder household. The Dutch East India Company functioned th century ended up in the history books centuryendedupinthehistorybooks th and18 th centuries, but at the same centuries,butatthesame the 17 or unanimity and consensus. Even as early as Company were zealous about “common consent,” Republic, members of the Dutch East India had thefinalword;nosingleauthorityexisted. with the almost innate tendency to compromise, problems were usually resolved in a flexible way, to waitforpermission fromZeeland.Butsuch missed out on Henry Hudson, because they had Amsterdam chamber of the Company nearly decisive exercise of power. And that’s why the wasn’t always the most efficient method for stock certificatesofownership.Ofcourse, this to all citizens of the Republic the right to buy in turn the Company had to offer the opportunity Dutch East India Company rights of monopoly; in theory;theDutchparliamentgranted debate. A formofdemocracyprevailed,atleast the art of persuasion, convincing others through more usable land. Everything revolved around their wetlands,orpolders,inordertodevelop accustomed to as they worked together to reclaim on thecollectivedecision-makingtheywere until consensus is reached. This inclination based inclination toassembleand“polder”ordebate th As in all the political institutions of the century the Dutch had an uncontrollable centurytheDutchhadanuncontrollable

33 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam deed Hudson got “a small ship or yacht” at his contract withHenry Hudson. According to this with opponent Le Maire, had already signed the lead by Dirck Van Os, energized by their rivalry 8 person.” Their objectionarrivedtoolate:onthe command of “an able, wise and experienced on with the northern expedition but only under do whenheisfarawayfromus.” colleagues in Amsterdam. “Imagine what he will under our eyes,” the Zeelanders wrote to their sail with him. Hudson is starting “to , even pay forsomeEnglishcrewmemberswhowould with quartermasterDirkGerritszoonaboutthe with theFrench.Hudsonalsohad“bigdisputes” Henry Hudson when they discovered his dealings Company would have severed all contacts with up toZeeland,asdocumentslatershow, the compromise and fait accompli. If it had been of the Dutch East India Company filled with completed in the twilight of the backrooms preserved. The polderhadtoremaindry. order, which was for the general good, must be to scheme, to plot strategies. The established th of January 1609 the Amsterdam administrators, The Zeeland chamber wanted to press The appointment of Henry Hudson was on the4 further obligations. to hiswife,andwiththatsumberelieved ofall Company would have paid two hundred guilders have returnedwithinayear, theDutchEastIndia was betweenfiftytosixtyguilders.Shouldhenot monthly salary of a captain in the merchant navy was eighthundredguildersatatimewhenthe sixteen men.Fortheentireexpedition,hispay yacht of 85 feet (26 metres), with a crew of was theHalveMaen, Half Moon, a triple-masted anything back.” The modest ship he was allocated to him during the voyage, without holding courses, maps and everything that had happened he would have to return and pass on “all journals, southwards again, en route to Asia. Subsequently round the north of Nova Zembla and then travel in early April to search for a northern passage, and other necessities. He would have to depart disposal, wellequippedwithacrew, provisions definitive peace settlement was delayed because the Republicsigned atwelve-yeararmistice. A Three dayslaterthe delegatesfromSpainand on April 6,from Texel IslandintotheNorthSea. Thus oursailordepartedfrom Amsterdam th of April 1609,tosetsail twodayslater,

35 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam one and a half million guilders in thirty years, he the Lord,”because thoughhehadlostmorethan inscribed thathehad been“blessedabundantlyby in the town church of Egmond-Binnen he had was namedtheStraitLeMaire.Onhis tombstone strait near Vuurland, at the tip of South America, East India Company, and a newly discovered Australian Company, a counterpart of the Dutch speculations misfired. Later he founded an Maire, left the city two years later after his Historical Museum. Their opponent,IsaacLe in apaintingthegalleryof Amsterdam proudly in front of his company of riflemen patron, Arent tenGrootenhuys,isportrayed governor of“his”polder, theBeemster. Another activities –onagoldencareeraspolder Dirck Van Os, embarked – among many other ended. was foundedassoonthearmisticewithSpain for North and South America. That Company from setting up a separate West Indian Company prepared tomaintainthestatusquoandrefrain the armistice,merchantsofRepublicwere with Asia and America. Onlyforthedurationof the Netherlandsdidnotwanttoabandontrade Hudson’s immediate patron, merchant Amsterdam. off into the sea. Never again would he return to world –ifonlyforawhile. and creativity, linked with all parts of the known New York, acityofnovelty, bubbling withlife blossom intotheseventeenthcentury versionof peace treaty. them. Notuntil1648would Amsterdam agreetoa the Spaniardswascommerciallyinconvenientfor and hispeacepolicymainlybecauseatreatywith his followers turned against Van Oldenbarneveldt of religion lay commercial motives. Pauw and seemed to predominate. Underneath the veneer religious issues, as often in the Netherlands, only The eventsreadlikeaShakespeariantragedy. But his execution on charge of “high treason” in 1619. Pensionary Van Oldebarneveldtandthereafterin later years play a major part in the fall of Grand and powerful merchant mayor Reynier Pauw, in Petrus Plancius would, together with the stern had kept his honor. The clergyman and mapmaker For his part, Henry Hudson Hudson sailed For hispart,Henry Hudsonsailed In the years to come Amsterdam would

37 | Henry Hudson in Amsterdam The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson

By Russell Shorto approached thelimitsofendurance. Alone inan men the intensified it as and weather,” stormie “close into Norway,sailed of they coast the along northeast heading pole, the toward edged wooden ship–atfirstuneventfully, butasthey small a in men so or sixteen – month a than more and snowverycold.” They hadbeenatsea wind much with Ice… of dangerous more and sometimes, fogges, with trouble “Much log: the in words few a record May, and of – 1609 nineteenth the – date the scratch to pen a up pick pitching ofthewaves,firstmatemanagedto alive witheachpassinghour. Somehow, amidthe

t was getting harder to stay stay to harder getting was t inner hearts. hearts. inner our and dreams our to key the thing, human people failtorecord thissimplething,themost We knowalotaboutthehumanpast,but often decisions. important made otherwise war, and to went loved, explored, emigrated, people us names,ages,deeds,butrarelyexplain why give – ships’ wills forms, logs, immigration – the one-wordquestionwhy?Historicalrecords with do to had frustration professional greatest death? of likelihood increasing an somehow, into onward Push failure? admitting port, to back was tobedonenow? Turn aroundandhead of discoveringnootherroutes”thanthis. What “think he that captain their ordered specifically the icywatersofnorthernRussia. The contract through pole, the skirting route, northeast a take Amsterdam, wereunusuallyclear:theyto masters, theDutchEastIndiaCompanyin the richesof Asia. The instructionsfromtheir air. Their objectivewastofindashortcut the darkened Mutiny divided. bitterly became sky, thecrew–halfEnglishandDutch low and seas heaving of universe unforgiving Henry Hudson, Englishexplorer, left his that me told once Ahistorian old wise

41 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson made several attemptsofstupendous effort, to achievethatdream. Hehadpreviously one dreamwasto find ashortrouteto Asia. hunter, aseekerafterthescopeofearth.His chief traitwasconstancy:hean unrelenting after them.Hudsonexhibitednosuch charm.His that hewouldnamenewlydiscovered islands his exploits,andpromisedpeoplehe metinpubs adopted cityofLondonwithflamboyant talesof ),forexample,regaledcitizens ofhis personalities. The ItalianGiovanniCabotto(aka from thegreateraofdiscoverywereoutsized him, ahardinexorability. Someexplorers not bethelast. There wasagrimnessabout would befacedwithnear-mutiny, anditwould the courseofhumanhistory. man andledhim–albeitunwittinglytoalter force thatimpelledthisdark,brooding,dogged idea ofwhatdrovehimacrosstheglobe, himself. And yet,Ithinkwecangetaprettyclear the deedsthemselvesandwayheconducted adventurous life. We areleftto surmiseitfrom he didwhatduringthecourseofhis behind nodirectanswertothequestionofwhy And hewaswilling todoalmostanything This wasnotthefirsttimethatHudson today’s terms,his ideawasthathe wouldsaila be apathbetween the Atlantic andPacific.In the landmass. This, Hudsonconcluded,must the northof Virginia colonythatcutthrough Smith hadtoldhimofachannelsomewhere to Pacific Ocean–simplydidn’t exist.Further, John about –the American west andmuchofthe reckon thattheportionofearthno oneknew it wasreasonableforamarinerlikeHudson to about one-thirdsmallerthanitactually is.So geographer Ptolemy, whohadestimatedittobe the sizeofearthwasstillthatGreek consider thatatthetimebestcalculationof absurdity ofthisismitigatedsomewhatwhenwe staggeringly vastexpanseofNorth America. The straight throughwhatwenowknowtobethe success inthequesttoreachSeaofJapanwas had becomeconvincedthatthebestchanceof of theJamestowncolonyin Virginia, Hudson fighting forsurvivalalongwithothermembers from hisfriendJohnSmith,whowasevennow across the Atlantic. Basedinpartonletters course andsailthelittlevesselwestward– crew thathewouldviolatehisorders,change Pole. Now, amidthenoiseofwind,hetoldhis including tryingtosailstraightovertheNorth

43 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry , however, butheaded back northward,on was. Hudsondidn’t ventureinto the Chesapeake day Virginia, whereHudson’s friend JohnSmith southward, andcontinued allthewaytopresent- bank off Newfoundland.Fromtheretheyveered second ofJulythehadreachedgreat fishing of thevoyagewasfarlesstreacherous. Bythe as theysay, into history. This improvisedpart a newcourse,straightacrossthe Atlantic –and, how flimsywasthefoundationforhis belief. trust. OnlyHudsonhimselfwouldhaveknown surely havebeengreatcomfortinyieldingtothat someone whoknewthings think theircaptainwasaspecialhumanbeing, them tobelievehim:theywereprogrammed was right.Itwouldhavebeenrelativelyeasyfor of theNorthSea,heconvincedhismenthat Half Moon,amidtheroilinggray-blackwaters the imaginationtoday. There onthedeckof determination ofmensuchasHudsonbeggars Japanese coast. Ohio, hewouldfindhimselfbearingdownonthe of theUnitedStatesand,insteadreaching,say, channel thatcutthroughthenortheasternstates So theychangedeverythingandsetoff on The boldness,theepicpig-headednessand , andtherewould sailed backtoEurope. Asia. Hudsongave theordertoturnabout. They water nolongersalty. This wasnotthe route to realizing thatthebedwasnarrowing andthe all thewaytonorthofpresent-day Albany, before They continuedpastManhattanIsland andonup, and tradedwithsomefought others. upon.” for cultivationthatIhaveeverinmy lifesetfoot high Landonbothsides… The landisthefinest broad,” thefirstmatewrote,and“thereisvery region enchantedthem.“TheRiverisamile was inachannelbetweentwooceans. The whole and thussalty, Hudsonhadreasontobelievehe later takeitsnamefromHudson–isatidalriver, river theythenfollowed–whichwouldofcourse the ship.”ItwasNew York Harbor. Becausethe and aRayasgreatfouremencouldhaleinto great Mullets,ofafootandhalfelongpeece, “a verygoodHarbour”wheretheycaught“ten shallow. OnthefourthofSeptembertheyentered candidate –theDelawareRiverbutitwastoo would leadto Asia. They foundonelikely the lookoutnowforchannelthathebelieved In England –whereHudson hadputinto They encounterednativesinseveral places,

45 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson had remained loyaltohim, and Hudson’s young Bay, theysetHudson,severalcrewmembers who water thatwouldlater becomeknownasHudson At thefarsouthern edgeofthevaststretchicy weakened byscurvyandhunger, hadenough. laments, until,finally, onJune22,1611, themen, of ice,refusingtoheartheirgrowing chorusof lashed hiscrewthroughmorehellish expanses through northernCanada.Hecajoled andtongue- passage heexpectedtofindatahigher latitude, North America, thistime insearchofanorthwest backing, fromEngland,andsetoff againtoward goal. Bythenextsailingseasonhehadwonnew was merelyavastobstacleinthepathtotrue interest inthesethings.Forhim,North America expeditions toexplorethenewregion. Dutch merchant-adventurers,whobegantoplan the attentionofEnglishrulers,andalso beavers andfoxes,ofaworld-classharbor, got Hudson’s account oflimitlesstimber, of around hiscrew, sniffingforinformation. His ship’s logwasconfiscated.Spiescircled having sailed“tothedetrimentofhiscountry.” new adventurebegan.Hudsonwasarrestedfor harbor enroutebacktotheDutchRepublic–a Hudson himself,however, hadlittle of theNorth American continent,a fewDutch claim toawideswath oftheeasternseaboard on thebasisofwhich theDutchRepubliclaid years immediately afterHenryHudson’s voyage, wearing deerskinstiedaroundthewaist. Inthe tail,” asonewriterwouldputit,and likely Indians, theirhairlongand“coarseas ahorse’s soldiers. The otherwasmadeupofMahican American wilderness.Onecomprised Dutch on theedgeoflimitlessexpanse of North fateful dayin1626aroughlyconstructed fort two smallgroupsofmenwhometonaquietly only objectivethatevermatteredtohim. of hisownobsession,havingfailedtoachievethe had neverimagined–diedanicydeath,avictim Hudson –whowouldmakehistoryofakindhe and weresoonembroiledincourtcases.Henry sailors lostsightofit. They returnedtoEngland, was notmeantforseavoyages;intime,therebel behind themsailinggamely, butthesmallboat the mutineerssetsailtheycouldseeshallop small accompanyingshallop.Sometimeafter which toaccompanyhisfather, intotheship’s son John,whohadchosenthewrongvoyageon Probably itwasnottwoindividualsbut

47 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson was also called). The Dutchideaoflaying the UnitedProvinces (astheDutchRepublic groups ofsettlersand traderswentoutfrom Delaware. York, NewJersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticutand all orpartsoffivefuture Americanstates:New the DelawareRiverinsouth,and comprised terms, itstretchedfrom Albany, New York, to the colonyNewNetherland.Incontemporary basis fortheDutchclaimtoarea. They called region sailedbyHudson,usinghisvoyageasthe context thatthe WIC organized a colony inthe fight theSpanishinthoseregions.Itwasthis as theCaribbeanandSouth America, andto to extractproductsfromNorth America aswell hoped todothesame.Itsmissionwastwofold: the newlyformedDutch West IndiaCompany very successfulatdoingbusinessin Asia. Now which hadfundedHudson’s voyage–hadproved established. The DutchEastIndiaCompany– against theSpanishEmpire,anewconcernwas long warofindependencetheDutchwerewaging in 1621,withtheendofa12-yeartruce small amountsoftradewithnativegroups. Then, expeditions reachedthearea,chartinganddoing Beginning in1624 and1625thefirst the Dutch tradedwiththeMahicans, Van each wouldhelpthe otherifattacked.Since that theDutchand Mahicansenteranalliance; Mahican leaderproposed to Van Crieckenbeeck off-again feudwiththeMohawkIndians. The Mahicans wereinalongstanding,on-again, commander, DanielvanCrieckenbeeck. The the NorthRiver, andmadeaproposaltoits into FortOrange,theDutchsettlement farup Then onedayin1626theMahicans came pelts. whom theywouldtradeforbeaverandother and establishingrelationswiththeIndians bark, andgottoworkclearingtillingland lining themwithwoodandcovering They builtveryprimitivehomesbydiggingpits, aptly namedSouthRiver(nowtheDelaware). (later theConnecticutRiver),afewmoreat river, afewatwhattheycalledtheFresh River ),afewfurthersouthonthesame North River(whichwouldlaterbenamedthe spread outacrossthisvastregion:afewupthe – numberinginthefivesandtenstheywere though thesefirstsettlementgroupsweretiny claim toterritoryinvolvedoccupation,soeven All wentreasonablywellthefirstyear.

49 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson it wouldbetter serveasacapital. The Indians a stone’s throwfromNotenIsland,deciding that repositioned them, together, onthe larger island action. Herecalled allthefarflungsettlers,andhe was foolhardy. The Indianattackspurredhim to of settlersacrosshundredsmiles territory a baseandthattheideaofspreading tinygroups both thatNotenIslandwastoosmall toserveas Minuit actedalmostatonce.Hehad realized the Indiankillingstonorthreached them. Minuit, andataroundthesametime news of their leader. They choseanewone,namedPeter turmoil here,asthesettlerswereunhappywith capital ofthecolony. There hadbeenminor Island), whichhadbeenpickedouttobethe the DutchcalledNotenIsland(laterGovernor’s clustered onadotofanislandintheharborthat To thesouth,anothergroupofsettlerswas farflung Dutchsettlements,andcausedapanic. were killed. of theDutchmen,including Van Crieckenbeeck, to scouttheMohawk. A battleensued,andfour Mahican partyastheymarchedintotheforest agreed. Shortlyafter, sevenDutchmenjoineda Crieckenbeeck thoughtitasoundidea,and News ofthekillingsrippledthrough moment intime: for itindicatessosharplyandprosaicallythis one ofhistory’s moreremarkabledocuments, news. The so-calledSchaghenletterhasbecome and wrotealettergivinggovernmentleadersthe Schaghen documentedthecontentsofship, of it. A DutchgovernmentofficernamedPeter arrived intheDutchRepublicbringingword event occurredashipfromNewNetherland long agolost,butsomemonthsafterthishistoric a treatywiththeIndiansforit. This treatywas Manahatta. Shortlythereafter, Minuitnegotiated called it,intheirlanguage,“islandofhills,”or by themiddle ofMay, andreaped bythemiddle morgens insize.Theyhadalltheirgrain sowed Indians for the value of 60 guilders. It is 11,000 have purchased theIslandManhattesfrom the also havebornesomechildren there. They in goodspiritandlivepeace.The women September. Theyreport that ourpeopleare out oftheRiverMauritiuson23d of arrived here. Itsailedfrom Yesterday theship the Arms of Amsterdam High andMightyLords,

51 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson dollars) was notanoutright paymentbutatoken century historianfamously calculatedat24 guilders’ worth ofgoodshegave(whicha19 Minuit surelyknew thatfortheIndians60 In Amsterdam, the5 mercy ofthe Almighty, High andMightyLords, becommendedtothe Herewith, aforesaid shipis: canary seed,beansandflax.Thecargo ofthe grains: wheat,rye,barley, oats,buckwheat, of August. Theysentsamplesofthesesummer P.Schaghen Your HighandMightinesses’ obedient, Many oaktimbersandnutwood. 34 Muskratskins 33 Minks 36 Lynx skins 48 Minkskins 675 Otterskins 178½ Otterskins 7246 Beaverskins It wasn’t a“sale”intheEuropeansense; th ofNovember Anno 1626 th

Anthony Van Salee(a.k.a. The Turk) andthe comprised aDutch-Moroccan piratenamed of thelegendarycouples ofNew Amsterdam as well.Prostitution wasamainstay. Indeed,one Fullfledged pirates became part of the community which ishowslaverybeganonManhattan. Amsterdam. Someofthemcontained slaves, might say–broughtthecapturedships toNew and Portugueseprizes–legalizedpiracy, you captains whowereauthorizedtotake Spanish against SpanishshipsintheCaribbean: Dutch It becameabaseforprosecutingthewar developed areputationforsemi-lawlessness. small aplace.Indeed,New Amsterdam quickly fort –andaremarkablenumberoftavernsforso proper Dutchgables). There wasachurchand one. Streetswerelaidout,houseswentup(with parent city–becameacity, ifaroughandmotley appropriately namedNew Amsterdam afterits The capitalatthesoutherntipofManhattan– Netherland begantogrow. More settlersarrived. side wasattackedtheotherwouldcometoitsaid. Island,andatthesametimeifeither alliance: theEuropeanswouldbeentitledtouse of alliance. The Indianideawasofadefensive Thus reformed,thecolonyofNew

53 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson colony, , decidedtodeclare anall- skirmishes withIndian groups,thedirectorof Amsterdam began to grow. deals. More ships appeared in the harbor. New along the Hudson and Mohawk rivers and struck Amsterdam. Individuals went out among the tribes firms in Amsterdam set up branch offices in New from that date the colony began to flourish. Trading in 1640,thecompanygaveupitsmonopoly, and smuggling became a main occupation. Finally, to allowitexploitthecolony. Inthevacuum, WIC agents;butthe WIC’s structurewastoorigid trading with the Indians unless they were acting as on trade. No one was allowed to make money from the West India Company maintained a monopoly lawless for years after its founding, largely because New Yorkers. (later ),andspawnedgenerationsof principle landowningfamiliesofBreuckelen married, hadfourchildren,becameoneofthe couple eventuallybecameleadingcitizens:they after causingmoraloutrageforsomeyears,this microcosm ofthewaycolonywouldmature, town’s firstprostitute,GrietReyniers.Inanice Then itallcollapsed. Inareactiontominor New Amsterdam stayedstagnantandsemi- put under housearrest,and even threatenedto confrontation, Stuyvesant ordered Van derDonck rights ofindividuals. At theclimaxof by fiat, Van derDonckurging thenewlyevolving Stuyvesant insistingonhisrighttorun thecolony Stuyvesant and Van derDoncklockedhorns, the DutchRepublic–puttheircasebefore him. University, thepremier academicinstitutionin a younglawyerwhohadtrainedatLeiden community –ledby Adriaen Van derDonck, 1647, thenineunofficialrepresentatives ofthe Immediately onhisarrivalinthespringof company mannamedPeterStuyvesant. director tothecolony, avigorous, disciplined men astheirrepresentatives. The WIC sentanew for theirinterests. They appointedagroupofnine that theycouldnotexpectthe WIC tolookout it convincedtheinhabitantsofNew Amsterdam colony toitsknees.Mostimportantlyforhistory, and killing.“Kieft’s War” broughtthefledgling Indians attackedEuropeansettlements,burning sent WIC soldiersonbrutalraids.Inreaction, do businesswiththem.ButKieftpersisted,and by theIndians.Foranother, theywere thereto For onething,theywerevastlyoutnumbered out waronthenatives.Settlerswereoutraged.

55 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson official Dutch city. that grantedNew Amsterdam thestatusofan part oftheorderthat remainedineffect wasone interests, andtheorder wasrescinded. The only government launchedatradewaragainst Dutch colony. Butalmost immediatelyafter, theEnglish recall, andconsideredwaystoreinforce the der Donckseriously;theyorderedStuyvesant’s would eventuallytakeover. were alreadyencroachingonNewNetherland – New Englandtothenorth,andwhosemembers – whohadcoloniesat Virginia tothesouthand they didnot, Van derDonckwarned,theEnglish do wasrealizethis,andasserttheirrightstoit.If wealth andpotential. All theDutchleadershadto coming decadescouldbecomeasourceofuntold vast North American wilderness,whichinthe real estatetheycontrolled.Itsatalongsidethe He askedtherulerstorecognizevalueofthis the governmenttakedirectcontrolofcolony. government in The Hague.Hisappealwasthat where heputthecaseofcolonybefore and heledadelegationtotheDutchRepublic, have himexecutedfortreason. The membersofthegovernmenttook Van Ultimately, Van derDonckwasreleased, Dutch Republicinthe17 as awhole.Oneoftheuniquefeatures City’s chartering–asindeedwouldthecolony in 1653remainstheofficialdateofNew York significance –thecharteringofNew Amsterdam of theirreligion.” one shallbepersecuted orinvestigatedbecause remain free,especially inhisreligion,andthatno Union ofUtrecht1579that“each person shall Inquisition; oneresultwasthedeclaration inthe provinces suffered violenceundertheSpanish its rootsinthepreviouscentury, whentheDutch the mixedcharacterofpopulation. This had – notasagrandideal,butwayto dealwith religious debate. Tolerance wasadoptedaspolicy There, tolerancebecameatopicofpoliticaland Spain, France…butnotintheDutchnation. Intolerance wasthusofficialpolicyinEngland, a nationshouldbeofonepeopleandfaith. religious strife, it was almost universally held that high concentrationsofminorities.Inanage pot ofEurope.Dutchcitieshadunusually the “LowCountries”hadbecomemelting mixed character. Overthepreviouscenturies, But thatorderwouldhavelasting This clause wouldhaveconsiderable th centurywasits

57 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson Amsterdam became New New became YorkAmsterdam City. , colony. his and New command his up gave reluctantly Stuyvesant Island. Manhattan of tip the at fort the at aim took and harbor the entered were realized. An English gunboatflotilla source ofreligiousfreedomintheUnited States. gone downin American history astheoriginating document, calledtheFlushingRemonstrance, has Dutch authoritiessidedwiththepetitioners. This allow allreligiousgroupstosettle. Again, the of thepetition–meantDutchcolonyshould of theOutwardStateHolland,”inwords also appealedhisruling. Tolerance –“theglory tried tobarthem,andtheEnglishinhabitants the English)onLongIsland,Stuyvesantagain in thevillageof Vlissingen (calledFlushingby Then whenEnglishQuakerswantedtosettle appealed hisrulinginthehomecountryandwon. their religionwouldbringunrest.In1654,Jews settling inNewNetherlandonthegroundsthat times PeterStuyvesanttriedtobargroupsfrom Swedes, Italiansandothers. Then too,several was amixedcommunity, comprising Germans, helped ensurethatrightfromthestartcolony consequences intheNew World. Foronething,it In 1664, Donck’s 1664, der In van fears Adriaen 17 More significantly, theDutchRepublicin New NetherlandcolonyfromtheDutch “boss” enteredtheEnglishlanguage via the its originsintheDutch made of bisquitsbecausetheDutchNew Amsterdam many smallways. Americans eatcookiesinstead continued. That influenceisstillapparentin then adistantmemory. free fromEngland. The Dutchpresencewasby all-English affair: Anglo settlementsbreaking colonies declaredtheirindependence,itwasan in languageandculture.In1776,whenthose colonies developed,theywereseenasEnglish also cametoanendin1664. As the American concerned, theDutchlegacyinNorth America end. an to came to changed North Albany. in rule America Dutch the secondcity, 150milesupriver, sawitsname of thesefeatures –freetrade andanimmigrant a socialgluetoundergird amixedsociety. Both reduce risk,aswell asthenotionoftolerance trade, includingthe ideaofsharesstockto th centurypioneeredconceptsofbusiness and koekjes But theinfluenceofDutchpresence As faras American andDutchhistorywas . The American SantaClaushas Sinterklaas . The word baas.

59 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson centered on theideaoftolerance, andinsodoing Amsterdam bequeathed alegacytoNew York, the 21 our present:thatconnects HenryHudsonto to followathreadthatrunsfrom pastinto shining sea. evolve andspread,asthesongsays, from seato mention Anthony Van SaleeandGrietReyniers– deeds ofStuyvesantand Van derDonck–notto Hudson, thelegacyofNewNetherland,and them. InthiswaydidthewillfulnessofHenry Montana, California–theybroughttheideawith As theymovedwestward–toOhio,Indiana, combination tobequintessentially American. and itsvigorouspursuitoftrade–tookthat teeming society–itsdenseimmigrantmixture landed largely inNew York. They lookedatits in theUnitedStates19 When hordesofEuropeanimmigrantsarrived or anyothercityinEnglishNorth America. a verydifferent placefromBoston,Hartford, York developedunderEnglishrule,itwouldbe then inNew York. They ensuredthatasNew culture –tookrootinNew Amsterdam, and st And wherearewenow?Isitpossible century? Thanks toHudson,thecityof th century, they in the17 changed somuch?Ifyoulookcarefullyatevents society. in whathaslongbeenEurope’s mosttolerant and asharpriseinanti-immigrationsentiments was foratimenewinward-lookingposture, down; sodidDutchsociety. In Amsterdam, there much oftheworld. American societyhunkered New Amsterdam), New York changed,asdid Center towersstoodattheedgeofwhatwasonce (and it’s worthnotingthatthe World Trade With theSeptember11, 2001,terroristattacks apparent inthetwocities? spawned anewtypeofsociety. Isthatlegacystill same cycle hasoccurredin our time. We live conservative andfearful andrestrictive. The of war, societyclosed down,becamemore idea oftolerance others. Then, withtheadvent feeling secure,developedandencouraged the was inthosetranquilperiodsthatDutch society, punctuated byperiodsofpeaceandprosperity. It of thatcenturywasonereligiouswarfare of enormousupheavalandturmoil. The course invention oftolerancecameaboutin themidst But inalarger sense,havethingsreally In onesensethereisreasonforskepticism. th century, youfind thattheDutch

61 | The Accidental Legacy of Henry Hudson some waypioneeredinthe17 to bemade:thesefeaturesthat Amsterdam in city? Indeeditis,andthereliesthelarger point But isthisnotthepaletteofeverymodern and clove:thecityscapeisapaletteoftolerance. yarmulkes, CyrillicandCantonese,turmeric evident inthe21 century Amsterdam andNew York arefully anxiety. verities, atimeofhopefulnessfreightedwith in aperiodoftransition,questioningold Tempest, composed rightaroundthe timeHudson contemporary William Shakespearein that hassuchpeople init!”SoextolledHudson’s “How beauteousmankind is!Obravenewworld, freetrading cityonablankslateofan island. from thesceneofabrashlymultiethnic and and thedevelopmentshortlyafterhe passed brooding, mist-shroudedfigureofHenry Hudson, that iswhatbeganin1609,withthe unlikely, of modernsociety. We might considerthat part ofeverymoderncity, partofthedefinition New World city, areubiquitousnow. They are to New York, makingforthefirstmultiethnic transferred toNew Amsterdam, andfromthere But foralltheanxiety, thefruitsof17 st centurycities. Turbans and th century, and The th

Page 70,71: View of byPieterNolpe andJ.Esselens,1650,City Archive Amsterdam. 5 november1626,DutchNational Archives, DenHaag. Page 68,69: The letterofPieterSchaghenonthe‘purchase’ oftheislandManhattes, Dutch National Archives, DenHaag. Page 66,67: View ofNew Amsterdam byJohannes Vingboons, 1664, approx. 1640, Amsterdam StockExchangeFoundation Page 64,65: View oftheNewBridgein Amsterdam, afterapaintingofJanBeerstraten, bravely wedoisuptous. new world,regardlessofourcontinent.How applied tothe Americas. Today weallliveinthat world” becamefashionableintheera,andwas was freezingtodeathinCanada. The term“new

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