APUSH Review: Colonial America New Netherlands

Summary

This video explores Dutch colonization in North America, focusing on New Netherlands and its pivotal role in shaping New York City. It discusses the Dutch East India Company's influence, Henry Hudson's explorations, and the establishment of Fort Orange. The script delves into the colony's diverse population, the fur trade's economic significance, and the lack of democratic institutions. It also covers conflicts like the Beaver Wars, Dutch-Native American relations, and the eventual English takeover, leading to New Amsterdam becoming New York.

Takeaways

• 🇳🇱 Dutch colonization in America was driven by companies like the Dutch East India Company, aiming to expand and bring profits to investors.
• 🚢 The Dutch hired English explorer Henry Hudson to find the Northwest Passage, which led to Dutch claims on the region.
• 🏰 The first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherlands was Fort Orange, established around 1623-1624 in present-day Albany, New York.
• 🦃 The Dutch were primarily interested in the fur trade, especially beaver pelts, which were highly profitable.
• 🏘️ New Amsterdam (now New York City) was a company town, run by the Dutch West India Company to generate profit for shareholders.
• 🌐 The colony of New Netherlands was diverse, with people of different religions and nationalities, making it a cosmopolitan society.
• 🏞️ The Dutch had a cooperative but not perfect relationship with the local Native Americans, who were crucial for the fur trade.
• 💸 The story of the Dutch 'buying' Manhattan for $24 worth of goods is largely a myth, as Native Americans did not have the concept of private property.
• 🛡️ New Amsterdam built a wall (now Wall Street) to protect against native and English threats, but it was vulnerable to attacks from the harbor.
• 🇬🇧 The English, under King Charles II, took over New Netherlands in 1664, renaming New Amsterdam to New York after the Duke of York.
• 🏛️ Despite the English takeover, Dutch influence remains in New York City, with names like Harlem and Brooklyn having Dutch origins.

Q & A

What was the primary motivation behind Dutch colonization in North America?

The primary motivation behind Dutch colonization in North America was profit, particularly through the fur trade.

How did the Dutch gain control over the area that would become New York?

The Dutch gained control over the area through exploration by Henry Hudson, who was hired by the Dutch East India Company, and later by establishing claims and settlements such as Fort Orange.

What is the significance of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company in the colonization of New Netherlands?

The Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company were significant as they were the entities that financed and organized the Dutch colonization efforts, including the establishment of settlements and trade networks.

What was the nature of the Dutch relationship with the local Native American tribes?

The Dutch aimed to maintain favorable trading relations with the local Native American tribes, as the tribes knew the best locations for beaver hunting, which was key to the fur trade.

How did the Dutch acquire Manhattan, and what is the myth associated with this acquisition?

The Dutch acquired Manhattan by trading goods worth approximately $24 to a local native tribe. The myth is that they got one of the best real-estate deals ever, but this is complicated by the fact that Native Americans did not have the concept of private property rights as Europeans did.

Why was New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherlands, considered a company town?

New Amsterdam was considered a company town because it was run entirely as a business by the Dutch West India Company, with the purpose of generating profit for its stockholders.

What were the Beaver Wars, and how did they impact the Dutch colony in North America?

The Beaver Wars were a series of conflicts between the Dutch and local Native American tribes, partly due to strained relations and competition over the fur trade. These wars led to a threat to the Dutch colony and contributed to its eventual takeover by the British.

How did the diversity of the colony of New Netherlands differ from other British colonies?

The colony of New Netherlands was enormously diverse, with a cosmopolitan society that included various religious groups and spoke multiple languages, which was more diverse than the other 13 British colonies.

What was the role of the wall built in New Amsterdam, and how did it relate to the present-day Wall Street?

The wall was built as a defense system to keep out native and English threats. It later became the namesake for Wall Street, where the stock market is located.

How did the English eventually take control of New Amsterdam, and what changes occurred afterward?

The English, under King Charles II, sent a military expedition that resulted in the Dutch colony surrendering without a fight. New Amsterdam was renamed New York in honor of James, the Duke of York, and the English colony expanded, stretching from Maine to the Carolinas.

What are some of the lasting Dutch influences in present-day New York City?

There are several Dutch influences in New York City, including place names like Harlem and Brooklyn, which are derived from Dutch words. The official seal of New York City also features Dutch elements such as Native Americans, beavers, windmills, and Dutch settlers.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Dutch Colonization and the Birth of New Amsterdam

The script discusses the Dutch colonization of New Netherlands, focusing on the role of the Dutch East India Company in global expansion during the 17th century. It highlights how the Dutch sought to establish their claim in North America by hiring English explorer Henry Hudson to find a Northwest Passage. Hudson's exploration led to the naming of the Hudson River and the establishment of Fort Orange (now Albany, New York) as the first permanent Dutch settlement. The script also touches on the competition with other European powers like England, Spain, and France, all vying for control of the New World.

05:01

🏘️ The Unique Aspects of New Netherlands

This section delves into the unique characteristics of the Dutch colony of New Netherlands, emphasizing its focus on profit, particularly through the fur trade. It discusses the lack of democratic institutions and religious freedom within the colony, which was run as a company town by the Dutch West India Company. The script also notes the colony's diversity, with various religious groups and languages present, contrasting with the more homogeneous British colonies. The diversity was both a strength and a challenge for governance.

10:01

🛡️ Conflicts and Defenses in New Netherlands

The script outlines the problems faced by New Netherlands, including the Beaver Wars with Native Americans and the threat from other European powers. It describes how the Dutch built a wall (which later became Wall Street) to protect against these threats. The narrative also covers the Dutch-Swedish conflict and the eventual incorporation of New Sweden into New Netherlands. The looming threat from the British, under King Charles II, is highlighted, leading to the peaceful surrender of New Amsterdam and its renaming to New York.

15:02

🏛️ Legacy of New Netherlands in New York

The final paragraph summarizes the aftermath of the English takeover of the Dutch colony, noting how New York became a part of the English colony stretching from Maine to the Carolinas. It discusses the strategic importance of the colony's location and the lack of significant growth or democratic development under English rule. The script concludes by pointing out the lasting Dutch influence on New York City, from its official seal to place names like Harlem and Brooklyn, and the city's diverse economic base inherited from its Dutch past.

Keywords

💡Dutch colonization

Dutch colonization refers to the establishment and expansion of Dutch settlements and influence in various parts of the world, including North America. In the video, it is discussed how the Dutch, after gaining independence from Spain, sought to expand their territories and economic influence through companies like the Dutch East India Company. This colonization led to the creation of New Netherlands, which is a central theme of the video.

💡New Netherlands

New Netherlands was a Dutch colony in North America during the 17th century, covering parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut. The video explains how this region was claimed by the Dutch and how it was a center for the fur trade, which was a significant part of the Dutch colonization efforts.

💡Dutch East India Company

The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, which became an important agent of Dutch colonialism. The video mentions how this company was instrumental in the expansion of Dutch influence worldwide, including hiring Henry Hudson to explore on their behalf.

💡Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson was an English explorer who was hired by the Dutch East India Company to find a northwest passage to Asia. His explorations led to Dutch claims on the region that would become New Netherlands. The video uses Hudson's voyages to illustrate the beginning of Dutch colonization in North America.

💡Fort Orange

Fort Orange was the first permanent Dutch settlement in North America, established around 1623-1624 in what is now Albany, New York. The video discusses how this fort was a significant part of the Dutch colonization efforts and served as a base for further expansion into the continent.

💡Dutch West India Company

The Dutch West India Company was established to compete with the East India Company and to expand Dutch influence in the Americas. The video explains how this company was responsible for establishing several settlements in New Netherlands, including Fort Orange.

💡Beaver Wars

The Beaver Wars were a series of conflicts in the 17th century involving the Dutch and other European colonizers with Native American tribes over the fur trade. The video discusses how these wars strained relations between the Dutch and the native people, leading to a defensive wall being built in New Amsterdam.

💡Wall Street

Wall Street in New York City originated as a defensive wall built by the Dutch to protect New Amsterdam from potential threats. The video explains how this wall was part of the Dutch colony's defense system and how it eventually became a symbol of the financial district.

💡Patroonship

Patroonship was a feudal system used in New Netherlands where large land grants were given to individuals who agreed to settle a certain number of people on the land. The video discusses how this system led to a small number of people owning large tracts of land, which was a unique aspect of Dutch colonization.

💡New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam was the center of New Netherlands and the precursor to modern-day New York City. The video describes how it was a company town run by the Dutch West India Company, focused on profit through trade, particularly the fur trade.

💡Duke of York

The Duke of York, later King James II of England, was given the land that included New Amsterdam by his brother King Charles II. The video explains how this transfer of land led to the renaming of New Amsterdam to New York and the eventual English takeover of the Dutch colony.

Highlights

Dutch colonization led to the birth of a famous American city.

Holland gained independence from Spain in 1579 with help from Protestant England.

The Dutch East India Company was established to expand Dutch influence and bring profits to investors.

The Dutch were a commercial and naval powerhouse in the 17th century.

Henry Hudson, an English explorer, was hired by the Dutch East India Company to find the Northwest Passage.

The Dutch established claims to the region, which later became known as New Netherlands.

The first permanent Dutch settlement, Fort Orange, was established around 1623-1624 in present-day Albany, New York.

The Dutch West India Company established settlements for profit, primarily from the fur trade.

The story of the Dutch 'buying' Manhattan for $24 worth of goods is largely a myth.

The colony of New Netherlands was focused on profit, particularly from the beaver trade.

New Amsterdam was a company town, run by the Dutch West India Company.

There was a lack of democratic institutions and religious freedom in the colony of New Netherlands.

The colony was not very attractive to settlers due to its focus on profit from the fur trade.

New Netherlands was incredibly diverse, with people of many different religions and languages.

The Beaver Wars strained relations between New Netherlands and the local native people.

New Amsterdam built a wall as a defense system, which later became Wall Street.

The Dutch colony of New Sweden was incorporated into New Netherlands after a bloodless fight in 1655.

The British eventually took over New Amsterdam, renaming it New York in honor of James, the Duke of York.

The colony of New York was autocratic with a small number of landowners holding most of the power.

The city of New York still has many Dutch influences, including names like Harlem and Brooklyn.

Transcripts

what's up everyone today we're going to

take a look at the Dutch colonization

it's called new Netherlands and in

particular how that colonization by

Holland by the Dutch eventually will

lead to the birth of this famous

American city home to biggie smalls and

of course there I am over the years

getting old and even more handsome as

time moves on now what you need to know

is a couple of things and just more

background more than anything else not

super important is um Spain basically

controlled the area of the Netherlands

and in 1579 with a little help from

Protestant England Holland the Dutch are

free from Spanish control and really a

big part of Holland or the Netherlands

expansion is done by companies such as

the Dutch East India Company and this

was a company which was designed to

bring profits to its investors it's a

joint stock company and really in the

1600s so we're talking seventeenth

century here Dutch are really a

commercial and naval powerhouse they

they are at the peak they're at making

some big money and doing pretty well for

themselves the Dutch East India Company

is expanding all over the world and they

hire a British guy a English explorer by

the name of Henry Hudson to go explore

on behalf of the company and we have a

real-life recreation here it is take a

look at the map there he is cruising

along the coast and he goes into the

area of what will be Delaware in New

York it's not called that yet and this

English explorer was intended to find

the Northwest Passage for the Dutch East

India Company they're looking for a

shortcut to the Indies in 16:9 1609 so

this is taking place and this

establishes Dutch claims to the

region now keep in mind England and

Spain and France are also peeking around

these areas and you know Jamestown was

established in 1607 the colony of Quebec

was established not too long after up in

Canada so we have this competition

taking place now what ends up happening

is they establish their claim Hudson

River is named after Henry Hudson and

the first permanent Dutch settlement in

what will become New Netherlands takes

place at a place called fort orange

oranges are always at fort oranges built

like around 1623 1624 I think it's

completed and it is built in what is

today Albany New York and you can see it

right there on the map now it's not the

first kind of Dutch settlement um

there's another fort that survives for

around four years I just call it fort

Naz to help me remember it and it was

established not by the Dutch East India

Company but by another company the Dutch

way for it West India Company the Dutch

West India Company is the one who

establishes these settlements now fort

Naz lasts for four years it's more of a

military defense warehouse you know

keeping Goods and things like that

eventually it comes in disrepair and

they replace it with the big one for

orange now for orange why is it there

why is the Dutch West India Company

establishing these settlements and it

really is for profit and in particular

the fur trade here is a re-creation of

that for it with the Dutch ships right

off the coast so they're there and along

the Hudson River you know rivers are

important for travel into the interior

and they want to make money and in

particular the fur trade is gonna be the

money makers now one of the most

well-known things if anything that

people know about the colonisation of

New Netherlands is what happens with

Manhattan and the story goes the Dutch

come in there and get one of the best

real-estate deals ever when they offer

if there's something like $24 worth of

stuff to get 22,000 acres of land in

what will become by buying it from a

local native tribe now this story of

course is largely myth because there's a

whole bunch of issues that complicate

this one is Native Americans did not

have the notion of private property

rights as the European settlers did you

know there was no sense that you could

sell this land and some historians say

that they merely sold them the right to

use the land there's also a question as

to whether or not the Native Americans

who sold it to the Dutch even were the

tribe that had traditionally used that

area there was stories that they

actually were from another Island around

the colony so who knows keep in mind the

motives of the colony of New Netherlands

is profit and of course that profit is

going to largely come from not tobacco

not rice not those things but fur

she's a fairy girl and what you need to

keep in mind is even the seal of the

colony of New Netherlands very clearly

tells you they're out largely for the

beaver trade so their profit motive fur

trade profits is a key aspect of the

colony of New Netherlands now this is

going to lead to some interesting

dynamics developing between the colony

of New Netherlands in the local native

people for one unlike the British who

are going to come in huge numbers to the

east coast of the you know continent

the Dutch are gonna come in smaller

numbers they're going to attempt to have

favorable trading relations with the

native people because the native people

are the ones who know where the beaver

roam and how best to get the fur so

you're gonna have a more cooperative

relationship not a perfect one the Dutch

will have their fair share of wars

you'll see in just a moment now another

unique aspect of the Dutch colonization

is the fact that the colony of New

Netherlands no Amsterdam is the fact

that it is a company town meaning it is

run entirely as a business it's run by

the Dutch West India Company with its

headquarters over an Amsterdam the

purpose of the colony is to get profit

for the stock holders to generate

revenue and as a result of it being run

as a company town some unique things are

going to take place in the colony of New

Netherlands and there's the settlement

as it grows and these things are for one

there's a lack of democratic

institutions in the colony there is not

going to be any representative assembly

like the House of Burgess in Virginia or

the town hall meetings like in

Massachusetts Bay Colony there's no kind

of democracy in a sense there's a lack

of religious freedom in the colony you

know it is profit profit profit so those

ideals of religious

freedom are absent those religious

motives are absent from the colony

another aspect of the colony of New

Netherlands is it doesn't get a lot of

settlers there's not a lot of people

that want to come to the colony there's

other colonies of the Netherlands that

are more you know ideal for a settlement

and you know if you're basing it on

profit in the fur trade a lot of people

actually does the opposite it runs down

the likelihood of profits so you have

not a lot of settlers coming very few

people coming and when those individuals

who do come you have something called

patroon ships and this was like a feudal

estate where people would come and have

these huge land grants and if you settle

50 people you get more land and so what

you get is a very small number of people

having lots of land in the majority of

people not having much at all there was

something unique though about New

Netherlands and think about where it is

established in what is today New York

and that is it is enormously diverse

there's a very cosmopolitan society and

as a result you get all these different

people coming

all these different people coming I mean

it's a port town it's right there along

the Hudson River and in the colony of

New Amsterdam modern-day New York City

you have a mix of religious groups there

you have Jews there Catholics

Protestants Puritans you have 18

different languages so you know that

idea of diversity of America really new

Netherlands the colony of New

Netherlands represents that more than

any of the other 13 British colonies but

that's also difficult to govern in fact

more than half the population are not

even Dutch you've got French you got all

sorts of different people in the colony

itself so now that you know the kind of

why they came and what the colony was

like you got to know the problems they

started to have and I've already

revealed some of them you know not a lot

of people come to the colony but the big

problem starts taking place when New

Netherlands has a series of Wars called

the beaver wars and if you click that

link right there you're gonna learn all

about the beaver wars we're not gonna

spend a lot of time in this lecture

discussing them but partly because of

their strained relations with the native

people you know there were massacres

that took place the Dutch and the

natives you know there were both sides

were fighting each other because if you

were not trading with the Dutch they had

no interest in your presence on the

continent and so you had this really

strained relationship and that led not

only the threat or the fear of the

native people but it also was the fear

of other nations such as England and the

Dutch colony of New Amsterdam builds a

defense system a wall on the northern

portion of the colony and it is designed

to keep out the native and the English

threat and these threats were very

serious I mean this is like a real-life

game of Thrones here you know

competition is fierce now this wall is

built and it of course it'll become the

famous wall street where the stock

market is held and takes place but

there's a problem here

and yes that wall was a pretty gnarly

defense system but all of this is

completely vulnerable right into the

harbor of the Hudson River so that's not

going to be very effective at keeping

someone out paint taped the British now

another problem develops and that is

there are other European countries

trying to establish themselves in the

North American continent and one

unexpected one is Sweden 1638 the Swedes

establish a fort over in what will

become Delaware and this along the

Delaware River this settlement along the

Delaware River is never really a big

threat it's a sad colony not a lot of

people go it's not you know exactly

threatening the Dutch but the Dutch

don't like their settlement in their

region and so in 1655 the Dutch send a

military expedition under the authority

of a guy that has the nickname Father

wooden leg and in 1655 the fort the

swedish fort falls and a bloodless fight

and the colony of New Sweden is

incorporated into the colony of New

Netherlands now the big threat though is

going to come with British and the big

threat with the British is gonna come

at this point the king of England is a

guy by the name of King Charles the

second and you start getting the colony

of the Dutch colonies bumping into the

English colonies particularly here in

the Connecticut region and the English

do not want the Dutch in their area

they're competing with one another for

resources and trade and Native American

alliances and things of that nature

in fact you have the Dutch kicked out of

the Connecticut Valley area by the

English colonists and what you see

happening is as the New England colony

grows and the New Netherland colony kind

of remains stagnant remember the New

England colonies had this great

migration of people coming into this

region that doesn't happen with new

Netherlands and what ends up happening

is king charles ii sends over in 1664

in military expedition he gives a huge

piece of land remember any time the king

gives a plot of land to a group or

individuals it's a proprietary colony

and this military expedition comes over

he gives the land to his bro the Duke of

York James the Duke of York no shots are

fired there's no epic battle or anything

like that the colony the Dutch colony

basically surrenders and New Amsterdam

is renamed New York in honor of James

the Duke of York and just like that the

map which New Netherlands Noon Amsterdam

right down there suddenly now becomes

New York and more importantly though by

1664 England has a colony that is

stretching from Maine all the way down

to the Carolinas and this gives them

strategic advantages the middle colonies

which New York will be a part of will be

strategically important with all their

rivers into the interior it gives them a

powerful Harbor the Hudson River goes

into the interior and they are building

up their empire slowly and of course

this will eventually lead to conflict

with France now a couple things about

the colony of New York

it doesn't really pop it's a very

autocratic colony there is huge amount

of power in a small number of land

owners there's not a lot of freedom or

political democracy taking place and as

a result not a lot of people go to New

York but it is a mixed very diverse

economy because those people that were

there in the colony of New Netherlands

merged into the colony of New York and

if you go to New York there are still

legacies of the Dutch in the city in

fact the city of New York's seal

official seal does have the Native

Americans with the Dutch beaver and

windmills and Dutch settlers in fact

names like Harlem and Brooklyn two very

important New York

areas were derived from Dutch words

there I am in Amsterdam that closes

and of course the takeover and the

English took over the Dutch colony and I

hope you take over the a.push exam by

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