SPOTLIGHT ON: NEW AMSTERDAM
By Christine Bruzzese September
3, 2009 will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the
Dutch East India Company expedition in what is now New York City. This
expedition, led by Henry Hudson, was the first of several. By 1626, the
New Amsterdam colony had been established. New Amsterdam remained under
Dutch control until September 1664 when the British seized the colony
and it was renamed New York. This article features some resources on
the Dutch colony and New Amsterdam that can be found in the City Hall
Library.
The Dutch Founding of New York by Thomas A. Janvier was originally published
in 1903 and reprinted in 1967. This book chronicles the expeditions of
the Dutch East India Company, establishment of the first settlements,
developments in trade and government matters. The British takeover is
also discussed. Original illustrations and maps enhance the text.
Records of New Amsterdam: 1653 to 1664 is a six-volume set. This consists
of English translations of various records of the Burgomasters and Schepens
of New Amsterdam. Ordinances, court minutes, administrative minutes and
more are included. Minutes of the Executive Board of the Burgomasters
of New Amsterdam deals with various matters brought before this body
such as debts, care of orphans, fire fighting, etc. All of these publications
were originally translated and edited by Berthold Fernow, an archivist
of New York State in 1907. In 1967, the Records were reprinted. A new
edition of the Minutes of the Executive Board appeared in 1970.
A Sweet and Alien Land: the Story of Dutch New York by Henri and Barbara
van der Zee was published in 1978. Examined in this book are the difficulties
faced by Dutch colonists in trading and establishing settlements. Additionally,
they had to deal with Native American tribes, rivals such as the British
and lack of regulation by the Dutch East India Company. Unfortunately
opportunities for greed, exploitation and scheming were rife. The good
and bad of the Dutch experience are chronicled here ending with the final
surrender to the British.
For more info on the City Hall Library,
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