Founding of The New York Colony
Throughout history the New York colony has gone by three different names. It was originally known as the New Netherlands colony and later became known as New Amsterdam, followed by New York. The colony was originally funded by the Dutch West Indies company. The Dutch West Indies company was a Dutch company similar to the East India Company of England. The company's goal was to make a profit through the exploration of the new world. The Dutch West Indies company received about fifty percent of all proceeds made from the New Netherlands colony.
The Dutch West Indies company hired Peter Minuit lead a colonization attempt. Before hiring Peter Minuit to lead a colonization attempt the company hired Henry Hudson to explore the area. In 1609 Hudson explored the Hudson river and discovered the land that is current day New York. The company then gave Minuit specific instructions not to cause a bad relationship with the Natives living in the area Hudson explored, they wanted to settle on. When Minuit arrived he traded the Lenape tribe for land to build the colony on. He traded them the equivalent of twenty-four dollars for twenty-two square miles of land. The land he traded for is current day Manhattan island. Many people claim the trade was never valid because there is no written record of the trade. Also Native Americans didn't believe that a person can own land. The only records of land being traded in the area are records showing that Staten Island was purchased from the Natives. After Minuit purchased the land, colonists built Fort Orange, the first European structure on the land.
In 1647 the Dutch West Indies company sent Peter Stuyvesant to be the new governor of the colony. Stuyvesant changed the colony's name to New Amsterdam. Before he became governor about one thousand people were living in the New Netherlands colony. By 1660 Stuyvesant was able to increase the population of New Amsterdam to about eight thousand people. In 1664 Stuyvesant was forced to give the colony to the Duke of York, James because the colony's citizens refused to defend the colony against the Duke's forces. Once the Duke of York gained control he claimed the colony for England and renamed it for the third time to New York.
The Dutch West Indies company hired Peter Minuit lead a colonization attempt. Before hiring Peter Minuit to lead a colonization attempt the company hired Henry Hudson to explore the area. In 1609 Hudson explored the Hudson river and discovered the land that is current day New York. The company then gave Minuit specific instructions not to cause a bad relationship with the Natives living in the area Hudson explored, they wanted to settle on. When Minuit arrived he traded the Lenape tribe for land to build the colony on. He traded them the equivalent of twenty-four dollars for twenty-two square miles of land. The land he traded for is current day Manhattan island. Many people claim the trade was never valid because there is no written record of the trade. Also Native Americans didn't believe that a person can own land. The only records of land being traded in the area are records showing that Staten Island was purchased from the Natives. After Minuit purchased the land, colonists built Fort Orange, the first European structure on the land.
In 1647 the Dutch West Indies company sent Peter Stuyvesant to be the new governor of the colony. Stuyvesant changed the colony's name to New Amsterdam. Before he became governor about one thousand people were living in the New Netherlands colony. By 1660 Stuyvesant was able to increase the population of New Amsterdam to about eight thousand people. In 1664 Stuyvesant was forced to give the colony to the Duke of York, James because the colony's citizens refused to defend the colony against the Duke's forces. Once the Duke of York gained control he claimed the colony for England and renamed it for the third time to New York.