History of the Dutch Settlement of New York City

Content approved by Jerry Parker

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. For many people, they consider New York City to be one of the most important cities in the world. While New York is a large, bustling city today, it had very modest starts.

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. He said the great stream was among hills. While the discovery did not lead to his ultimate mission of finding a route to China, it was a momentous find.

• 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. 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 and south to establish New Amsterdam, which is now known as New York City.

• New Amsterdam History Center
• Brief Outline on the History of New Netherland
• About New Netherland
• What Was New Netherland?

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. This led to a growth in population and the settlement flourished. Eventually, the Dutch settlement made an arrangement to legally acquire what we now know as Manhattan Island, which increased the value of the holdings in the new world.

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.

The story behind the settlement of New York City is interesting and gives people a look at how one of the most vital cities in the world came into existence. To learn more, please take a look at some of the websites that talk about the history of the city!

• A Tour of New Netherland
• New Netherland Becomes New York
• Dutch Colonization
• Charter of the Dutch West India Company
• The Dutch in New Netherland and the United States
• Dutch New Amsterdam
• The Middle Colonies of the United States
• Researching New York’s Dutch Heritage
• Street Plan of New Amsterdam and Colonial New York
• New York Under Dutch Rule
• New Amsterdam Surrenders to the English
• The End of New Netherland
• From New Netherland to New York
• Dutch Influences on New York City
• The Dutch and the Purchase of Manhattan Island
• Dutch Influences in America
• Dutch Inspired Places in the United States