On January 24, 1641, Manuel de Gerrit de Reus survived a failed hanging. Spectators saw it as divine intervention and successfully petitioned the Council to spare his life.
Mary Steenburgen is an American actress and Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress for Melvin and Howard (1980). Known for film and television roles, she later appeared in Back to the Future Part III and Elf.
Jeroen van den Hurk uses historic documents to analyze the architecture of New Netherland.
"A certain fish appeared... snow white, withouth fins, roud of body, and blew water up out of his head"
In 1647, residents of Fort Orange were treated to a rare spectacle.
Governors Island, carries both historic and cultural importance for the descendants of three continents—Europeans, Africans, and American Indians.
Peter Stuyvesant was the last Dutch Director-General of New Netherland, governing New Amsterdam from 1647 until the British takeover in 1664. Known for his authoritarian rule, he helped expand the colony’s population and strengthen its administration.
Translated in A.J.F. van Laer, Council Minutes, 1638-1649, pgs. 212-213 The 25th of February We, Willem Kleft, director general, and the council of New Netherland, having considered...
One of the immortal myths associated with the Dutch “purchase” of Manhattan is that they bought the island for $24. Let’s ignore for now the meaning of “purchase” in this context, for this is yet another myth that needs busting. Let’s forget too for now that Manhattan was not acquired by the Dutch parting with hard cash, though the constant reference to the $24 seems to imply this.
Seventeenth-century Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius defined property as “ours,” including houses, land, and immovable things. Ownership passed by gift, inheritance, or sale, but only formal transfer, not mere agreement, secured legitimate title in New Netherland.
Marc Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman known for his years with the New York Rangers in the NHL. A strong defensive player and All-Star selection, he is one of the four Staal brothers.
