Long Island, once called 't Lange Eylandt by the Dutch, became a contested territory between New Netherland and New England. Dutch and English place names reflect its rich, conflicted colonial history.
Founded in 1660 by French immigrants, Boswijck quickly grew between Breuckelen and Middleburgh. Amid war and English threats, settlers petitioned for protection—yet by 1664, Boswijck became Bushwick under English rule.
In 1636, Dutch pioneers settled western Long Island, founding Breuckelen in 1646. Farms lined an old trail, and ferry service began in 1642—later giving rise to today’s Fulton Street.
In 1640, English settlers from Massachusetts attempted to settle western Long Island but were expelled by the Dutch. They moved east, founding Southold—the first English settlement in present-day Suffolk County.
In 1643, Lady Deborah Moody, fleeing religious intolerance, founded a settlement in New Netherland. As an Anabaptist and noblewoman, she became the first woman to establish a colony in America.
In 1643, English families from Connecticut settled a fertile Long Island plain. Granted permission by the Dutch, they swore allegiance and gained autonomy in church, law enforcement, and local governance.
In 1642, English minister Francis Doughty founded Maspeth in Queens under Dutch rule. Expelled from Massachusetts for radical preaching, he accepted Willem Kieft’s offer of land and religious freedom.
In the 1640s, Dutch settlers avoided a heavily wooded area on Long Island. By 1652, they founded Midwout—later called Flatbush, from the Dutch “vlackebos,” meaning wooded plain.
Founded in 1636, Amersfoort grew into a thriving town with farms, magistrates, and taverns. By 1656, its residents collaborated with nearby villages to support church construction and fund a minister.
In 1643, Anthony Jansen Van Salee received land on Long Island. Later settled and organized by Jacques Cortelyou, it became New Utrecht, named for Cornelius van Werckhoven’s Dutch hometown.
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