Exploring Dutch Heritage Through Research 

Exploring Dutch Heritage Through Research 

Biographies

Uncover the life stories of historical figures, innovators, and influential individuals from around the globe. Explore their achievements, struggles, and the legacy they’ve left behind.
Total 364 Contents

Mark Meijer is an American businessman and president of the Meijer supercenter retail chain. The grandson of founder Hendrik Meijer, he joined his brothers in managing the family company while also developing a major regional emergency medical services business.

Herman Melville (1819–1891) was an American novelist and sailor best known for Moby-Dick (1851). Drawing on his seafaring experiences, he wrote influential maritime fiction that later secured his reputation as a major figure in American literature.

Cornelius Jacobsen Mey (fl. early 1600s) was the first director of New Netherland in 1624, appointed by the Dutch West India Company. A seasoned explorer and trader, he led early Hudson and Delaware expeditions. Cape May, New Jersey, was named in his honor.

Peter Minuit (c.1580–1638), a Walloon-born merchant and diamond cutter, served as Director-General of New Netherland from 1626 to 1631. He is best known for purchasing Manhattan from the Lenape for 60 guilders. Later, he helped establish the Swedish colony of New Sweden.

Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) was a Dutch modernist painter and co-founder of De Stijl. After fleeing war-torn Europe, he spent his final years in New York, where he created some of his most celebrated abstract works.

John Moolenaar (b. 1961) is a Republican U.S. Representative from Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, first elected in 2014. A former Michigan state legislator, he serves on the Agriculture, Budget, and Science, Space and Technology committees and advocates for Great Lakes protection and small business growth.

Gouverneur Morris (1752–1816) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father who helped draft the U.S. Constitution and is credited with writing its famous preamble, “We the People.” A New York delegate, he later served as U.S. senator and diplomat to France.

Lewis Morris III (1726–1798) was a New York statesman and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. A delegate to the Continental Congress, he came from the prominent Morris family of Morrisania and had deep Dutch ancestry through the Staats family.

Richard J. Mouw (b. 1940) is an American philosopher and theologian who served as president of Fuller Theological Seminary. A leading evangelical thinker, he has written extensively on Christian philosophy, culture, and interfaith dialogue.

Mark Mulder (b. 1977) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher best known for his years with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. A two-time All-Star, he led the American League with 21 wins in 2001 and was one of baseball’s top pitchers in the early 2000s.

WHAT WAS NEW NETHERLAND?


About New Netherland Institute

For over three decades, NNI has helped cast light on America's Dutch roots. In 2010, it partnered with the New York State Office of Cultural Education to establish the New Netherland Research Center, with matching funds from the State of the Netherlands. NNI is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.