
THE FIRST DUTCH SETTLERS IN AMERICA Following English explorer Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States.
Which colony was first settled Dutch?
Which colonies were first settled by people from the Netherlands? N ew Netherland was the first Dutch colony in North America. It extended from Albany, New York, in the north to Delaware in the south and encompassed parts of what are now the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware.
What did the Dutch colonists do in America?
The Dutch Republic started attempts to establish colonies in North America in early 16th century. The Dutch East India Company, also known as WIC, was established in 1602. Its primary task was to explore the Americas and claim suitable territories for the Republic.
Did the first American settlers believe in God?
WASHINGTON – Covenants are viewed as the most sacred and binding of deals – an oath that's never to be broken. America's earliest settlers made a covenant with God to serve and proclaim Him throughout the earth. These days, however, Americans appear to have forgotten this covenant and that can have dire consequences.
Why did Dutch settlers come to North America?
The original intent of Dutch colonization was to find a path to Asia through North America, but after finding the fur trade profitable, the Dutch claimed the area of New Netherlands. Interactions with Native Americans: The goals of both the French and Dutch revolved around the fur trade. When did the first Dutch settlers come to America?

Who were the first Dutch settlers?
New Netherland was the first Dutch colony in North America. It extended from Albany, New York, in the north to Delaware in the south and encompassed parts of what are now the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware.
Where did Dutch settle in America?
During the early nineteenth century, large numbers of Dutch farmers, forced by high taxes and low wages, started immigrating to America. They mainly settled down in the Midwest, especially Michigan, Illinois and Iowa.
Why did the Dutch originally come to America?
The original intent of Dutch colonization was to find a path to Asia through North America, but after finding the fur trade profitable, the Dutch claimed the area of New Netherlands. Interactions with Native Americans: The goals of both the French and Dutch revolved around the fur trade.
Who came to America first Dutch or English?
In the early 1600s, in rapid succession, the English began a colony (Jamestown) in Chesapeake Bay in 1607, the French built Quebec in 1608, and the Dutch began their interest in the region that became present-day New York.
What religion did the Dutch bring to America?
However, the Dutch Reformed Church was the official religion of the colony and the early settlers were instructed that only members of the Dutch Reform Church could practice their religion in public.
Which US city has the highest Dutch population?
Nowadays, towns with prominent Dutch communities are located in the Midwest, particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area, Wisconsin, West Michigan, Iowa and some other northern states. Sioux Center, Iowa is the city with the largest percentage of Dutch in the United States (66% of the total population).
Was New York founded by the Dutch?
The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 and grew to encompass all of present-day New York City and parts of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. A successful Dutch settlement in the colony grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and was christened New Amsterdam.
How did the Dutch treat natives?
Regarding the Indians, the Dutch generally followed a policy of live and let live: they did not force assimilation or religious conversion on the Indians. Both in Europe and in North America, the Dutch had little interest in forcing conformity on religious, political, and racial minorities.
How many Americans are of Dutch ancestry?
Today there are approximately 8,000,000 Americans of Dutch descent in the United States. The majority live in just ten states: California, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Washington and Iowa.
Who were the first people to live in America?
Ice age. During the second half of the 20th Century, a consensus emerged among North American archaeologists that the Clovis people had been the first to reach the Americas, about 11,500 years ago. The ancestors of the Clovis were thought to have crossed a land bridge linking Siberia to Alaska during the last ice age.
Who lived in the United States first?
Up until the 1970s, these first Americans had a name: the Clovis peoples. They get their name from an ancient settlement discovered near Clovis, New Mexico, dated to over 11,000 years ago. And DNA suggests they are the direct ancestors of nearly 80 percent of all indigenous people in the Americas.
Who were the first Native Americans?
For decades archaeologists thought the first Americans were the Clovis people, who were said to have reached the New World some 13,000 years ago from northern Asia.
When did Dutch first come to America?
After some early trading expeditions, the first Dutch settlement in the Americas was founded in 1615: Fort Nassau, on Castle Island along the Hudson, near present-day Albany. The settlement served mostly as an outpost for trading in fur with the native Lenape tribespeople, but was later replaced by Fort Orange.
How did the Dutch get to America?
The Dutch first arrived in America in 1609 when the Dutch East India Company vessel De Halve Maen, commanded by the English captain, Henry Hudson, laid anchor at Sandy Hook, before sailing up what is now known as the Hudson River. In 1614 Dutch merchants established a trading post at Fort Orange.
Where did the Dutch settle in California?
The Dutch were one small group of people who settled in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. Dutch immigrants who arrived between 1890 and 1940 participated in the agricultural economy. The first Dutch immigrants bought small tracts of land in colonies from companies that had substantially inflated the value of the land.
Why did the Dutch give up New York?
In 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch re-conquered Manhattan with an invasion force of some 600 men. But they gave it up the following year as part of a peace treaty in which they retained Suriname in South America. “They thought that was going to be worth more,” Fabend said.
OVERVIEW
Located in northwestern Europe, the Netherlands is bounded to the east by Germany, to the south by Belgium, and to the north and west by the North Sea. The Netherlands has about 16,000 square miles of landmass, making the country roughly equal in size to New Jersey and Maryland combined.
Acculturation and Assimilation
During the chief era of Dutch immigration, 1621-1970, religious and ideological viewpoints structured the character of public institutions in the Netherlands. In the Dutch Republic (1580-1795), Reformed Protestants controlled the government, schools, public charities, and most aspects of social behavior.
Language
In general, the Dutch language is no longer used by Dutch Americans. The vast majority of postwar immigrants have adopted English and the small number of immigrants who have arrived since the 1960s are bilingual because English is virtually a second language in the Netherlands.
Family and Community Dynamics
Colonial New Netherland (New York), like Jamestown and other trading post colonies, attracted single men, few women, and even fewer families.
Religion
Neither Dutch Catholics nor Jews have retained discernible ethnic practices in their religious exercises. Both groups are part of international organizations which, because they used either Latin or Hebrew in formal rituals, were not drawn into major controversies regarding vernacular language usage in worship.
Employment and Economic Traditions
Free enterprise capitalism was introduced to the United States by the joint stock companies that colonized the eastern seaboard. The New Netherland Colony (New York) exemplified that phenomenon just as obviously as Jamestown and the New England Company.
Politics and Government
The vast majority of Dutch Americans are Republicans but they are usually not political activists. During the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), Dutch Americans organized to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of the South African Boers.
When was the first Dutch settlement?
The very first Dutch settlement was founded around the year 1615, and it was called Fort Nassau, which can be correlated to present-day Albany, New York.
Where did the Dutch settle?
The Dutch initially landed in what they named New Amsterdam, which is now called New York City. The entire region up the Hudson River Valley was coined as New Netherland.
What is the History of the USA and The Netherlands?
What exactly is the history of the USA and the Netherlands? This is a very broad question, but it comes down to a few different things. The Netherlands and the United States go back to at least the 1600s when a ship with Dutch migrants made its way to what we today know as New York.
When did People From the Netherlands Come to the USA?
The Netherlands came to America in the very early 1600s in search of escaping religious persecution.
How long have the Dutch and Americans been together?
People from the Netherlands have been in certain parts of America since at least the 1600s, and the two countries have become close allies and have helped each other in numerous political and war situations.
Why were people in the Netherlands at risk of persecution?
People in the Netherlands were running the risk of persecution for holding secret religious services that the Church of England did not approve of.
What did the Dutch do when they ended up in North America?
When the Dutch ended up in North America, they formed good and healthy relationships with the Native Americans, unlike other settlers at the time.
Dutch presence in the present-day territory of the United States
In 1602, the Dutch government chartered the Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC). It sent explorers under the command of Henry Hudson who arrived in 1609 and mapped what is now known as the Hudson River.
Dutch influence on the United States
According to tradition, in 1626 Peter Minuit obtained the island of Manhattan from the Indians in exchange for goods with a total value of 60 guilders ($24); most aspects of the story have been called into question by experts. Minuit, a Walloon, was employed by the Dutch West India Company to manage its colony of New Amsterdam, the future New York.
Dutch language and Dutch names in North America
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Dutch-American Heritage Day
As of 1990, November 16 is "Dutch-American Heritage Day". On November 16, 1776, a small American warship, the Andrew Doria, sailed into the harbor of the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius in the West Indies. Only four months before, the United States had declared its independence from Great Britain.
Dutch-American Friendship Day
April 19 is Dutch-American Friendship Day, which remembers the day in 1782 when John Adams, later to become the second president of the United States, was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America.
Dutch Heritage Festivals
Many of the Dutch heritage festivals that take place around the United States coincide with the blooming of tulips in a particular region.
Religion
The beginnings of the Reformed Church in America date to 1628. By 1740, it had 65 congregations in New York and New Jersey, served by ministers trained in Europe. Schools were few but to obtain their own ministers they formed "Queens College" (now Rutgers University) in 1766. In 1771, there were 34 ministers for over 100 churches.
Why did the Dutch explore the Americas?
Like the French, the Dutch were originally exploring the Americas to find a quicker route to the Pacific Ocean, and thus the trade routes of China. They hired the English explorer Henry Hudson in 1609, who ended up at Cape Cod in what is now Massachusetts. Hudson continued along the coast until running into modern-day New York. Later voyages to map the area established it as part of the Dutch Empire under the name New Netherlands.
What was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas?
In 1606, the British got serious and King James I formed the Virginia Company to settle North America. It did so in 1607 at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Jamestown, located in Virginia, was beset by disease and starvation.
What were the French interests in the Americas?
For most of the early colonial period, the French interests in the Americas were in fur trapping and trading with the indigenous people, although they also hunted for gold and other treasures.
What was Hudson's first trading fort?
On the island of Manhattan, first surveyed by Hudson, the Dutch built a trading fort called New Amsterdam in 1625.
Why did Spain sponsor Christopher Columbus?
The Spanish kingdom, brand new at the time, sponsored the voyage of a man named Christopher Columbus in 1492. Spain was trying to find a new route to China, because nations like Portugal and cities like Venice already had the good routes around Africa and across the Asian continent.
Which European country was the first to colonize the Americas?
Lesson Summary. Spain was the first European nation to begin colonizing the Americas, starting with Christopher Columbus' discoveries in 1492. Spain was the first European nation of the time to begin exploring North America, mapping out Florida, but their real fame came from defeating the Aztecs of Mexico in 1521.
Where did the British settle in North America?
The first British settlement in North America was St. John's, in Newfoundland, Canada around 1520. However, it could not sustain a year-round population until 1620, a century later. The first major attempt to create a British colony in the modern-day United States was at Roanoke, in present day North Carolina in 1587.
Why did Europeans migrate to North America?
Europeans belonged to the Caucasian race. Cause of migration: Establishing colonies for their mother country was the first purpose of this migration to North America. Apart from this, the European settlers were unhappy with Europe’s monarchial and feudal system. They hoped for a better life in the new world.
When did people migrate to the new continent?
From the early 16th century, these people massively started migrating to the new continent.
What was the colonial era?
Colonial-Era Settlement – European Settlers In North America. Duration of migration: Colonial-era migration can be contained between 1492 to 1776 century. In 1492, a Spanish explorer and navigator, named Christopher Columbus discovered the new continent by mistake. His discovery was spread like fire throughout Europe.
How did the Bering Strait enter the new world?
Those immigrants entered the new continent through the road of the ice age.
Where did the first pilgrims settle?
The first Pilgrims to reach America seeking religious freedom were English and settled in Massachusetts. Right?
Who occupied Fort Caroline?
On this pitch-black night, the small, triangular, wood-palisaded fort was occupied by a few hundred men, women and children. They were France's first colonists in the New World—and the true first "Pilgrims" in America. Attacking before dawn on September 20, 1565 with the frenzy of holy warriors, the Spanish easily overwhelmed Fort Caroline.
Who was the French captain who was beached in the Trinité?
Twelve days later, on October 11, the remaining French survivors, including Captain Jean Ribault, whose Trinité had been beached further south, straggled north to the same inlet. Met by Menéndez and ignorant of their countrymen's fates, they too surrendered to the Spanish.
When did the Spanish attack Fort Caroline?
Attacking before dawn on September 20, 1565 with the frenzy of holy warriors, the Spanish easily overwhelmed Fort Caroline. With information provided by a French turncoat, the battle-tested Spanish soldiers used ladders to quickly mount the fort's wooden walls.
When did the Dutch claim New Amsterdam?
While the Dutch were pleased with the settlement, and New Amsterdam was thriving by the time the mid-1600’s arrived, in 1664 , the British claimed the territory as their own. New Amsterdam, soon to become New York City, and New Netherlands soon to become New York State, became one of the thirteen colonies under British control.
What was the name of the settlement in the New World?
The settlement was called New Netherland and was a settlement and fur trading center in the new world. In 1621, the West India Trading Company was formed by the Dutch government and given the task of expanding the presence in the area. The company expanded north to create Fort Orange / Beverwijck, which is now known as Albany ...
What was the name of the city that Verrazzano discovered?
Verrazzano Discovers New York Harbor. The Voyage of Verrazzano. Written Record of the Verrazzano Voyage of 1524. Verrazzano Discovering the Hudson River. In 1609, the first settlements in North America by the Dutch were established. These settlements were in the area north of what is now known as New York City.
What were the two new settlements?
The two new settlements proved to become very busy trade areas. The north was an important fur trading area, and the south with its location on the water became an important port for trade. New Amsterdam started to become an important port and started doing business with many trade partners.
When was New York City discovered?
The story of New York City goes back to 1524 when Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered New York harbor for the first time. Verrazzano was on an exploration journey of the coast of the new world when he came upon the harbor. During the logs of his trip it was noted that he found a great stream of water, which later was known as the Hudson River.
Which countries were interested in New Amsterdam?
However, due to it being a popular location, it was also the target of other countries. The British, Spanish, and French were among the countries that would have liked to have the ideal location for a port. While the Dutch were pleased with the settlement, and New Amsterdam was thriving by the time the mid-1600’s arrived, in 1664, the British claimed the territory as their own. New Amsterdam, soon to become New York City, and New Netherlands soon to become New York State, became one of the thirteen colonies under British control.
What is New York City known for?
When we think of New York City, what comes to mind is a huge, metropolitan city with millions of citizens. It is also the capital of the financial world with Wall Street, the stock markets, and the corporate headquarters of some of the largest companies in the world.

Overview
Dutch presence in the present-day territory of the United States
In 1602, the Dutch government chartered the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC). It sent explorers under the command of Henry Hudson, who arrived in 1609 and mapped what is now known as the Hudson River. Their initial goal was to find an alternative route to Asia, but they found good farmland and plenty of wildlife instead.
Dutch influence on the United States
• According to tradition, in 1626 Peter Minuit obtained the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans in exchange for goods with a total value of 60 guilders ($24); most aspects of the story have been called into question by experts. Minuit, a Walloon, was employed by the Dutch West India Company to manage its colony of New Amsterdam, the future New York. The names of some other settlements that were established still exist today as boroughs and neighborhoods …
Dutch language and Dutch names in North America
The first Dutch settlers lived in small isolated communities, and as a consequence were barely exposed to English. As the Dutch lost their own colonies in North America to the British, the Dutch settlers increasingly were exposed to other immigrants and their languages and the Dutch language gradually started to disappear.
In 1764, Archibald Laidlie preached the first English sermon to the Dutch Reformed congregation …
Dutch-American Heritage Day
As of 1990, November 16 is "Dutch-American Heritage Day". On November 16, 1776, a small American warship, the Andrew Doria, sailed into the harbor of the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius in the West Indies. Only four months before, the United States had declared its independence from Great Britain. The American crew was delighted when the governor of the island ordered that his fort's cannons be fired in a friendly salute. The first ever given by a foreign power to the flag of th…
Dutch–American Friendship Day
April 19th is Dutch–American Friendship Day, which remembers the day in 1782 when John Adams, later to become the second president of the United States, was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. It was also the day that the house he had purchased at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague was to become the first American Embassy in the world.
Dutch Heritage Festivals
Many of the Dutch heritage festivals that take place around the United States coincide with the blooming of tulips in a particular region. The Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan is the largest such festival with other notable gatherings such as the Pella Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa; Tulip Festival in Orange City, Iowa and Albany, New York; Dutch Days in Fulton, Illinois; Let's Go Dutch …
Religion
The beginnings of the Reformed Church in America date to 1628. By 1740, it had 65 congregations in New York and New Jersey, served by ministers trained in Europe. Schools were few but to obtain their own ministers they formed "Queens College" (now Rutgers University) in 1766. In 1771, there were 34 ministers for over 100 churches. Until 1764, in at least three Dutch churches in New York City, all sermons were in Dutch; Theodore Roosevelt reports his grandfather's church used Dutch …