CHAPTER IX.

NEW YORK TO 1688

Hudson's Discovery-Block's Exploring Voyage—The "New Netherland" Company-West India Company Chartered-The Dutch at Manhattan and Albany-Purchase of Manhattan Island-The Patroons-Van Twiller Succeeds Minuit-The Swedish Settlement-Trouble with the Indians-Peter Stuyvesant-Treaty with Connecticut-Attack on the Swedes-Delaware Purchased -Religious Contests-Demand for Popular Franchise-Relations to Connecticut-Holland and England-Conquest of New Netherland by the English-The New Government-War between England and France-Lovelace-New Netherland Retaken by the Dutch-Restored to the English-New York Described by Andros-Dongan-Charter of Liberties-New York a Royal Province-The Revolt of Leisler.

NEW YORK, or New Netherland, as it was first called, after a period passed out of the possession of the Dutch, its original settlers. Had it been retained in their hands it would have severed the chain of English colonies along the Atlantic coast, and have established a barrier in the way of their eventual union in one political system. At the opening of the seventeenth century, the Confederated States of the Netherlands were emerging victoriously from their long and heroic contest for liberty against the power of Spain. In 1609, there was concluded a truce for twelve years, which contained an acknowledgment by Philip II. of their sovereignty and independence. Just Hudson's disat the time when this memorable peace was covery. signed, Henry Hudson sailed from Amsterdam in the HalfMoon, to search for a passage to India by the northeast

or the northwest. Hudson was an English mariner who had made two voyages from England already in quest of India by way of the northern seas. Not disheartened by repeated failures, he now made a third attempt under the auspices of the Amsterdam directors of the Dutch East India Company, a corporation in which had been vested the most ample powers of colonization and government in the East, and which brought the largest pecuniary rewards to the enterprise of its projectors. After doubling the Cape of Norway, Hudson, finding in the ice and in the discontent of his men inseparable obstacles to a further progress, turned his prow toward America. Having reached the coast of Newfoundland, he sailed southward until he entered Delaware Bay. Then, reversing his course, he came in sight of the hills of Navesink, went in past Sandy Hook, and anchored in the lower bay of the future site of New York. He explored the neighborhood, and had converse with the Indians, which was generally of a friendly character. Still in quest of a route by water to India, in the month of September he sailed up the great river which was one day to bear his name, as far as the site of Albany. His appreciation of the charms of the scenery was enhanced by the delight natural to the discoverer whose eyes first beheld the noble stream and its adjacent shores, with their steep heights and verdant forests. He found the natives generally hospitable, although once he had to repel an attack. The reports of Hudson on his return-in particular, the prospect that was opened for a very lucrative trade with the Indians in furs-caused other vessels to be sent out by Amsterdam merchants on the same path. In 1614, Hendrick Christiaensen built a trading-house-"Fort Nassau " on the west of the Hudson, a little below the site of Albany. It was designed partly as a warehouse and partly for defence. A few men were also left on the south end

age.

The "New

Company.

of Manhattan Island as the nucleus of a settlement. In the same year another sea-captain, Adrian Block, having lost his ship, embarked in a small vessel which Block's exhe had built on that island, and coasted along ploring voythe shores of New England. He went up the Connecticut River, entered Narragansett Bay, and sailed past Cape Cod as far as Boston Harbor. The Dutch captain gave his name to a large island which he visited. Under his supervision a "Figurative Map" was drawn, and was submitted by the deputies of a company of merchants to the States-General at the Hague. A charter was granted to the "New Netherland" Company to trade in that region for three years, Netherland" from 1615. After that date it was renewed, year by year, until 1621. 'New Netherland," as delineated on Block's map, embraced the whole of New England. In the same summer in which he made his exploring trip, John Smith was likewise examining the eastern coast of the same territory, to the northern part of which he attached the name of New England. In 1620, merchants of Holland were willing to send out to the shores of the Hudson, John Robinson and his Pilgrim followers; but Robinson and his people demanded a guaranty of protection which the States were not disposed to grant, and the Pilgrims themselves felt reluctant to break off all connection with their native land. For several years prior to this date, the States had been engrossed in theological and political contests of the gravest character. Barneveldt, the republican statesman, perished on the scaffold, and Grotius owed his life to the ingenuity and heroism of his wife, who planned his escape West India from prison. Hindrances to the organization Company of another great commercial corporation were at length removed, and, in 1621, a charter was given to the Dutch West India Company. Included in its powers

chartered.

was the exclusive liberty to plant colonies on the American coast. The privileges of the Company in regard to planting settlements and governing them, and acquiring provinces, were almost unlimited. They were similar to those which had been conferred on the great Dutch corporation which managed the commerce and trade of the East. The Company was to be governed by a board of nineteen, a majority of whom belonged to the Amsterdam branch. One of the members of the board was to be appointed by the States.

The new Company was established, not mainly to found colonies, but for purposes of trade. But before it was fully organized, complaint was made by the representives of the Plymouth Company to the Privy Council. Sir Dudley Carleton, the British ambassador at the Hague, demanded of the States-General that they should prohibit any further prosecution of the enterprise. The whole country north of Virginia, Carleton asserted, had been granted by patent to the subjects of the King of England, to whom it belonged "by right of first occupation." No definite answer was obtained to this protest. In the spring of 1623, the first real attempts to colonize New Netherland began. A company of Walloons-Protestant emigrants from the Belgian provinces-was sent over. Eight men were left at Manhattan to take possession of The Dutch the island for the West India Company. tan and Al- part of the colonists sailed up the river and built Fort Orange, on the site of Albany. In 1624, civil government began under the rule of Cornelius Jacobsen May, as the first director. Under his administration, which lasted for a year, another Fort Nassau was completed on the South River-the Delaware. In 1625, two large ships loaded with cattle and horses, swine and sheep, arrived at Manhattan. Emigration continued, and when William Verhulst, in that year, succeeded May, the

at Manhat

bany.

A

colony numbered more than two hundred. There was an alliance between Charles I. and the Dutch, and all the

Island.

circumstances were favorable for the growth Purchase of the settlement. Peter Minuit, who came of Manhattan over as director early in 1626, bought the island of Manhattan of the natives for about twenty-four dollars.* There was correspondence with Bradford at Plymouth, and an embassy to him; but although there were mutual arrangements for trade, Bradford signified to the authorities at New Amsterdam that they had no clear title to their lands.

In 1628, Michaelius, a minister of the Reformed Church, came over and organized a church with fifty communicants. Before that, two "Consolers of the Sick," as they were styled, had read to the people on Sundays texts of the Bible and the creeds. These persons were of a class of recognized officers in the Church of Holland. The exports of the colony for several years were far less profitable to the West India Company than were the exploits of their sailors, by whom Spanish vessels, laden with silver, were intercepted and captured. The company organized its colonists by the establishment among them of distinct subordinate colonies, or independent lordships. The lord of the manor, the "patroon," as he was styled, had to be a member of the Company. By planting a colony of fifty adults anywhere, except on the island of Manhattan-which was to be under the direct control of the Amsterdam chamber-he became a feudal prince, with very extensive prerogatives and privileges, ruling over a broad extent of territory, of which he was the absolute owner. The colonists were to be subject to the patroon, whose service they might not leave

The patroons.

* It is a small sum, but had it been placed at compound interest, at the rate of six per cent., it would have amounted, at the end of two hundred and sixty-five years, to $122,472,860.