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First Dutch Contact
In September of 1609, the English mariner Henry Hudson under the employment of the Dutch West India Company sails into what is now New York Harbor and sails up the river which will later bear his name. His crew observes much of the northern coastline of NY and NJ (though Verrezano was first but he didn't venture upriver) -
First Settlers
In 1630, the Dutch West India Company granted land to a man named Michael Reyniersz Pauw for the purpose of settlement. Pauw named the land in what is now NJ, Pavonia which means land of the peacock. Two homes were constructed in what is now Jersey City, The settlement was not peaceful and escalating tensions between Dutch colonist and Native Americans ensued. -
Kieft's War
The New Netherlands colony was administered to by a director-general. In 1638, William Fieft was chosen for this position. He demanded that all Native Americans in the colony had to pay what amounted to a tribute tax of wampum or maize in order to recieve protection from the Dutch. This tax was highly unpopular among the local tribes and many refused to pay. In retaliation, Kieft ordered an attack on a Native American settlement near Pavonia. The attack led to the massacre of 80 people. -
Peach Tree War
In 1655, he director-general of New Amsterdam Peter Stuyvesant mounted an attack on the neighboring colony of New Sweden in Southwest NJ. In his absence, a young Native American girl was killed for stealing a peach from a local home. This incident sparked outrage among the Native Americans. In retaliation various local tribes launched attacks against the Dutch at Pavonia and Hoboken killing 100 Dutch settlers and capturing another 150.This incident led to the further fortification of New Jersey. -
Bergen
In 1658, Stuyvesant met with local Native American chiefs to make peace and put an end to hostilities. The Dutch repurchased land stretching between Hackensack and Secaucus for the purpose of establishing a military garrison. The fortification was built atop a Native American cornfield. The Dutch named the site Bergen which means a hill or mountaintop. -
Growth of NJ as a Colony.
Peter Stuyvesant grants a charter of incorporation to the settlement of Bergen. The charter included provisions for a church, a courtroom and an elementary school, (the first such school in the colony.) During this time more and more people began to settle in Bergen and in surrounding communties. The area in what is now Bergen and Hudson counties became the most densely populated area of NJ. -
New York?
IN 1664, an English Naval fleet sailed into the harbor of New Amsterdam and demanded the surrender of the colony. Peter Stutvesant initiaslly refused but was advised not to make a stand agasinst the English. Many of the settleers were disgruntled with Dutch rule and were open to this new change in governance. This however did not put an end to Dutch culture or influence in the area. -
Legacy of the Dutch (Present Day)
Though the Dutch colony is long gone and largely forgotton. The legacy of their presence still surround us today. Many streets and towns still retain the names of the Dutch settlers whom once called NJ home. Even in our day many of the words we use were borrowed directly from the Dutch. Vocabulary words such as stoop, bicker, lucky, loiter, stove, and even Santa Claus are direct loanwaords in the English language. From the Holland Tunnel to FDR the legacy of the Dutch is all around us.
