New York, the "Empire State," is a place so central to the American identity that it's hard to imagine it by any other name. However, for the first half-century of its European history, the region was not English but a Dutch colony with a completely different name. The original name of the state of New York was New Netherland.
The Dutch Arrival and New Netherland
In the early 17th century, the Dutch, a global maritime power, set their sights on North America.
- Exploration: In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, explored the river that would later bear his name, claiming the surrounding land for the Netherlands.
- The Colony of New Netherland: By 1614, the territory was officially chartered as New Netherland (Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch). It was a vast and commercially focused colonial province that included not only present-day New York but also parts of New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut.
New Amsterdam: The Capital City
The heart and capital of the New Netherland colony was the bustling port town of New Amsterdam (Nieuw-Amsterdam), which was established on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. This settlement was the center of the lucrative fur trade and was known for its diverse and tolerant population This characteristic would define New York City for centuries to come.
The English Takeover and a New Name
The Dutch and English were major commercial and colonial rivals. This rivalry came to a head in 1664.
- A Bloodless Conquest: King Charles II of England, seeking to consolidate English control of the Eastern Seaboard, granted the territory to his brother, James, the Duke of York.
- Renaming the Colony: An English fleet sailed into New Amsterdam's harbor and, facing overwhelming force, the Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, surrendered the colony without a fight. The English promptly renamed both the colony and its capital city "New York" in honor of the Duke of York.
.While New York is now quintessentially American, its roots are firmly Dutch. The original name, New Netherland, and its capital, New Amsterdam, are powerful reminders of the diverse European powers that shaped the early history of the United States. The legacy of this Dutch founding can still be found in place names throughout the state, from Brooklyn (Breukelen) and Harlem (Haarlem) to Coney Island (Konijnen Eiland).
Sources:
- The National Park Service
- The New-York Historical Society
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- The Gotham Center for New York City History
- Historical accounts of New Netherland and the Dutch colonial period
