New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch settlement at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, which later became New York City. It began as a small trading post near Fort Amsterdam, set up to protect the fur trade for the Dutch West India Company along the Hudson River. In 1624, it officially became part of the colony of New Netherland, and in 1625, it was named the capital. By the mid-1600s, New Amsterdam had grown into a busy city with thousands of people.

As the settlement grew, more people moved there seeking new opportunities. By 1655, over 2,000 people lived in New Netherland, most of them in New Amsterdam itself. Just a few years later, in 1664, English forces took control of the city. They renamed it New York after the Duke of York, who later became James II & VII. This change marked the end of Dutch rule in the area, though the Dutch and English later agreed to keep the territories as they were after the Second Anglo-Dutch War through the Treaty of Breda. Today, the place where New Amsterdam once stood is known as Lower Manhattan.

Etymology

The original name used by the local Munsee people for the southern tip of the island was Manhattoe. When the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam, the settlement became known as "Amsterdam" or "New Amsterdam." The city's boundaries stopped at the wall of Wall Street and did not include the rest of Manhattan or the larger area of New Netherland.

History

See also: Dutch colonization of the Americas and History of New York City

Early exploration and settlement (1609–1624)

In 1524, the site that would become New Amsterdam was named Nouvelle Angoulême by explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, honoring his patron Francis I of France. The Dutch began exploring the area in 1609 when Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch Republic, sailed up the river now known as the Hudson River. He was looking for a way to Asia but instead found a place rich in beaver, which were valuable for their fur.

Beaver pelts were highly prized in Europe for making waterproof hats. The Dutch established trading posts and, in 1624, officially settled New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. The settlement grew around Fort Amsterdam, built to protect the trading post. The area was initially a commercial venture focused on trade with local Indigenous peoples.

Pilgrims' attempt to settle in the Hudson River area

In 1620, the Pilgrims tried to sail to the Hudson River but ended up settling near Cape Cod instead, establishing the Plymouth Colony.

Dutch return

The mouth of the Hudson River was chosen for the settlement because it offered easy ocean access and a safe route to the fur trade. In 1621, the Dutch West India Company was created to manage the colony. In 1624, the first families arrived and began building Fort Amsterdam. The settlement included a church, barracks, and warehouses.

Fort Amsterdam (1624)

Fort Amsterdam was built to protect the entrance to the Hudson River from other European powers. By 1628, a smaller fort was completed. It became the center of the colony, with space for soldiers, a church, and storage for trade goods.

1624–1664

Peter Minuit became director of New Netherland in 1626. He is famous for allegedly “buying” Manhattan from local Indigenous people for trade goods worth about 60 guilders. The settlement grew, with windmills and sawmills being built to use local resources. By 1653, New Amsterdam received official city rights.

In 1655, tensions rose when Indigenous people attacked Dutch settlers after a colonist killed a woman. This conflict became known as the Peach War. The colony also saw the arrival of its first Jewish residents in 1654.

English capture

In 1664, English ships arrived and took control of New Amsterdam without a fight. The colony was renamed New York City in honor of the Duke of York. The Dutch briefly recaptured it in 1673, renaming it New Orange, but returned it to England in 1674.

Main article: Governors Island

Main article: Fort Amsterdam

Cartography

The early Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam was well-documented with city maps. The Dutch were skilled mapmakers, and they created detailed plans to track the growth of the colony and its population. These maps are important for understanding the history of New York City.

One famous map is the Castello Plan from 1660, which shows nearly every building in New Amsterdam. By comparing it with a list of citizens from the same year, historians can learn who lived where. Another map, the Duke's Plan, was made for the Duke of York, after whom New York and Albany were named. These maps help archaeologists locate historical sites in modern New York City.

The maps show that Fort Amsterdam was at the southern tip of Manhattan, where The Battery stands today. Broadway was the main street leading north, and Wall Street marks where the town’s wall once stood. The streets of New Amsterdam were winding, like those in European cities, and some of this layout remains in the Financial District today.

Legacy

The founding of New Amsterdam in 1625 is now remembered in the official Seal of New York City. Writers like Russell Shorto believe that New Amsterdam left a big mark on New York and the United States.

Much of the original architecture from New Amsterdam has disappeared, but some parts of the old street plan remain. Efforts continue to preserve and teach about this history. In 2009, the National Park Service celebrated the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage with the New Amsterdam Trail.