An Overview of the Main Milestones in the Development of New Amsterdam
Greetings to our blog post containing information on significant events in New Amsterdam, early Dutch colony that became NYC. In this post, we will highlight the main events in the history of New Amsterdam and give you a chance to go through the interesting history of this remarkable city. Let’s get started!
1. Founded from another colony, New Amsterdam is established (1626)
New Amsterdam was founded by the Dutch West India Company in 1626, as a trading post located at the country’s southern end of Manhattan Island. It was an advantageous post for barter with local Indian nations and was also ethnically a truly mixed station of Europeans, Americans, and Blacks.
2. Sailing and planting of a fort at the South River or as it is known today as Fort Amsterdam (1626)
In order to establish a permanent base for themselves in the Caribbean the Dutch constructed Fort Amsterdam in the same year, 1626. The fort afforded shelter to the developing town and it also housed the government of the Dutch West India Company.
3. The Charter of the Freedoms and Exemptions (1629)
Later in 1629 the Dutch West India Company came up with the Charter of Freedoms and Exemptions to encourage people to settle in the area. The charter permitted the patroons, the wealthy persons who had to fund at least 50 settlers for new Amsterdam. It therefore led to forming of large estate and the population aspect.
4. The Peach Tree War (1655)
The Peach Tree War or the Esopus Wars was about a war between Dutch colonists and the Esopus Indians that took place between 1655 and 1660. The conflict provided the Dutch with the acquisition of the Esopus, which will now become their domain.
5. The English Takeover (1664)
In 1664, the English navy sailed into the shores of New Amsterdam and was commanded by Colonel Richard Nicolls. Lacking sufficient protection the Dutch could not stand their ground and so New Amsterdam was renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York.
6. The Wall Street Wall (1653)
In 1653 the Dutch started the construction of a line of defense across Manhattan Island to protect themselves from Native Americans. It was called the Wall Street Wall and stretched from the East River to the Hudson River and defined the northern edge of the area.
7. The Slave Revolt of 1712
This however increased in 1712 when a major uprising, New York Slave Revolt of 1712 took place in New York City. The captured Africans rose against their masters and killed nine of them, as well as 21 of them, to which they were killed in turn. This parade brought out how enslaved people suffered horrendously in New Amsterdam.
8. The Great Fire of 1776
The Great Fire of 1776 more commonly referred to as the Battle of Brooklyn Fire occurred during the American Revolution. It rapidly spread towards a significant area of New York with the area of today’s Wall Street also being affected. That is why, this event left a great imprint on the development of the city and demanded construction of more fire-safe buildings.
9. The transition into becoming New York City (1785)
However, in 1785 New York City was officially formally ratified as the first capital of the United States of America. It has been established that the city is one of the significant historical centers of the nation’s development and later became one of the most important world centers of economic and cultural growth.
Conclusion
New Amsterdam, as the historical review presented, was the starting point to the today’s vivid city of New York. All of them defined what social, economical, and cultural lives of the city are and thus the city has become what it is – that pretty and diverse spot where people live today. My creating this brief historical tour through New Amsterdam has been a journey that I trust has given you new ways of understanding how this city and its people came to be as they are today.
