The
Dutch first arrived in America in 1609 when
the Dutch
East India Company vessel De Halve Maen, commanded by the English
captain, Henry Hudson, laid anchor at
Sandy Hook, before sailing up what is now known as the Hudson River.
In 1614 Dutch merchants established a trading post at Fort Orange.
Ten years later thirty families came from Holland to establish a settlement
that became known as New Netherland. The Dutch government gave exclusive
trading rights to the Dutch West India Company and over the next few
years other colonists arrived a large settlement was established on
Manhattan Island. Peter Minuit, who became
governor of New Netherland, purchased the island from Native Americans
in 1626 for $24 worth of trinkets, beads and knives. The chief port
on Manhattan was named New Amsterdam.
To encourage further settlement, the Dutch West India Company offered
free land along the Hudson River. Families who came from Holland to
establish estates in this area included the Roosevelts, the Stuyvesants
and the Schuylers. Peter Stuyvesant
became governor in 1646 and during his eighteen year administration,
the population grew from 2,000 to 8,000. Descendants of these early
settlers included three presidents of the
United States: Martin Van Buren (1837-41),
Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) and Franklin
D. Roosevelt (1933-45)
In 1638 the Swedish government employed Peter
Minuit, to help them establish a colony at Christina in Delaware
Bay. The Swedes became involved in the
fur and tobacco trades and this brought them into conflict with Dutch
and English settlers. In 1655 Peter
Stuyvesant arrived in 1655 with a formidable armada and took the
Swedish settlement by force.
In 1664 the English fleet arrived and
demanded the surrender of the New Netherlands. Peter
Stuyvesant wanted to fight but without the support of the other
settlers, he was forced to allow the English to take control of the
territory. New Amsterdam now became New York.
Other name changes included Albany (Fort Orange), Kingston (Wiltwyck)
and Wilmington (Fort Christina).
It
was not until the 19th century that Dutch began to think again about
settling in America. Taxes in Holland were high and wages low and
emigration became popular with agricultural labourers. Others decided
to go for religious reasons. The Dutch Reformed Church received support
from the State and dissenters suffered certain discriminations.
One of those who had suffered for his religious beliefs was Albertus
van Raalte. After being imprisoned for holding unauthorized church
services, van Raalte decided to emigrate to
America. In 1846 van Raalte and fifty of his followers settled along
the Black River in western Michigan (modern Grand Rapids). Within
two years there were over 4,000 people living in New Holland. Other
religious figures who opposed the State Church such as
Cornelius Van der Meulen, Martin Ypma and Jannes Van De Luyster also
joined the New Holland community.
Henry Scholte, another religious leader,
arrived in August, 1847. He obtained 18,000 acres in Marion County
and over the next few years his followers established the towns of
Pella and Orange City. The settlers concentrated on beet sugar, vegetables
and dairy products.
By 1850 there were Dutch settlements in Roseland and South Holland
in Illinois. There were several in Michigan including Groningen, Zeeland,
Drenthe, Vriesland, Holland, Overisel and Graafschap. There was also
a large number of Dutch living in Chicago.
Most of the immigrants from Holland were members of the Dutch Christian
Reformed Church. They kept strict rules about moral behaviour and
the sale of intoxicating liquors was prohibited. The religious leaders
also disapproved of dancing, gambling and the theatre.
Albertus
van Raalte
and Gerrit Van Schelven began publication
of the Dutch-language newspaper, De
Hollander.
Von Raalte was strongly opposed to slavery
and urged his followers to vote for Abraham
Lincoln and the Republican Party
in 1860. Many Dutch settlers joined the Union Army and fought during
the Civil War.
From 1820 to 1900 over 340,000 people from Holland emigrated to the
United States. After the Second World War Holland
was the most-densely populated country in the world. As a result the
Dutch government encouraged people to emigrate to America. Today there
are approximately 8,000,000 Americans of Dutch descent in the United
States. The majority live in just ten states: California, New York,
Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Washington
and Iowa.
An investigation carried out in 1978 revealled that since 1820 over
359,000 people emigrated to the United States from Holland. This amounted
to 0.7 per cent of the total foreign immigration during this period.
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