Albertus Christiaan Van Raalte (1811–1876) was a Dutch Reformed minister and immigrant leader who founded Holland, Michigan, and led nineteenth-century Dutch settlement in western Michigan.
Sarah Rapalje (1625–1685) was the first recorded European female child born in New Netherland. Born at Fort Orange (later Albany), she became the matriarch of a large colonial family, marrying twice and bearing fifteen children whose descendants spread widely throughout early New York society.
Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (1809–1864) was a U.S. congressman, farmer, and Union Army officer during the Civil War. A graduate of West Point and son of patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer III, he later served as a brigadier general and inspector general before his death in 1864.
Maria Van Cortlandt Van Rensselaer (1645–1688) effectively governed the vast Rensselaerswyck estate after the death of her husband, Jeremias Van Rensselaer. For thirteen years she managed the patroonship’s farms, mills, finances, and tenants, preserving the estate for the Van Rensselaer family during a difficult period in colonial New York.
Stephen Van Rensselaer III (1765–1839) was the eighth patroon of Rensselaerswyck, a prominent New York politician, militia general in the War of 1812, and a leading supporter of education and infrastructure, including the Erie Canal and the founding of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (1738–1810) was an early American politician, merchant, and banker who served in the First U.S. Congress and later as Lieutenant Governor of New York. A member of the prominent Van Rensselaer family, he was also active in Revolutionary War service and Albany civic life.
Henry Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1744–1816), also known as Hendrick Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, was a Revolutionary War officer who served as a colonel in the New York militia and played a key role in the 1777 fighting near Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign.
Killian K. Van Rensselaer (1763–1845) was a New York lawyer and Federalist politician who served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1801 and 1811, representing several New York congressional districts during the early years of the republic.
Robert Van Rensselaer (1740–1802) was a Revolutionary War militia officer and New York political leader. Serving as a brigadier general in the Albany County Militia, he participated in campaigns around Fort Ticonderoga and the Battle of Klock’s Field while also serving in the New York Provincial Congress and State Assembly.
Solomon Van Vechten Van Rensselaer (1774–1852) was a New York military officer and politician who served in the War of 1812 and later represented New York in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1819 to 1822 before becoming Albany’s long-serving postmaster.
