History

Origin

The Dutch, who began to establish trading-posts on the Hudson River in 1613, claimed jurisdiction over the territory between the Conneticut and the Delaware Rivers, which they called New Netherlands. The government was vested in " The United New Netherland Company ," chartered in 1616, and then in " The Dutch West India Company ," chartered in 1621.

The Dutch were the first European settlers in the colony known as New Netherland. Fort Nassau was founded near the site of present-day Albany in 1614 and abandoned in 1618. About thirty Walloon families settled on the shores of the Hudson River in present-day New York City and on the Delaware River around 1624, making them the first European inhabitants of the site. The Dutch also established Fort Orange near present-day Albany in 1624. New Amsterdam was established on the island of Manhattan which a year later Peter Minuit purchased from the Lenape. After the English took over in 1664, the colony was renamed New York, after the Duke of York, the future King James II.

In 1649, a convention of the settlers petitioned the " Lords States-General of the United Netherlands " to grant them "suitable burgher government," such as their High Mightinesses shall consider adapted to this province, and resembling somewhat the government of our Fatherland," with certain permanent privileges and exemptions, that they might pursue "the trade of our country, as well along the coast from Terra Nova to Cape Florida as to the West Indies and Europe , whenever our Lord God shall be pleased to permit."

These grants embraced all the lands between the west bank of the Conneticut River and the east bank of (the) Delaware.

The Duke of York had previously purchased in 1663 the grant of Long Island and other islands on the New England coast made in 1635 to the Earl of Stirling , and in 1664 he equipped an armed expedition which took possession of New Amsterdam which was thenceforth called New York. This conquest was confirmed by the treaty of Credo , in July 1667. In July 1673, a Dutch fleet recaptured New York and held it until it was restored to the English by the Treaty of Westminster in February 1674. The second grant was obtained by the Duke of York in July 1674 to perfect his title.

 

Bibliography

Surveys

• Eisenstadt, Peter, Laura-Eve Moss, and Carole F. Huxley, eds. The Encyclopedia Of New York State (2005) 1900 pages of articles by experts.
• Ellis, David M., James A. Frost, Harold C. Syrett, and Harry J. Carman. A History of New York State. Rev. ed. Cornell University Press, 1967.
• Ellis, David M., James A. Frost, and William B. Fink. New York: The Empire State . 4th ed. Prentice-Hall, 1975.
• Flick, Alexander C. (ed.). History of the State of New York. 10 vol, 1933–37
• Hedrick, U.P. A History of Agriculture in the State of New York (1983)
• Jackson, Kenneth T. ed, The Encyclopedia of New York City (1995)
• Klein, Milton M., ed. The Empire State: A History of New York. Cornell University Press, 2001. the latest scholarly overview
• Thompson, J. H. ed., The Geography of New York State (rev. ed. 1977);

Pre 1820