Dutch Influence

New York was settled by the Dutch long before the British arrived. The Dutch West India Company controlled all of New York City (then call New Amsterdam) and the Hudson River Valley. The Dutch explorer Henry Hudson cruised the river in 1609 in "Half Moon" searching for the Orient (wasn't everyone?!).

Photo: Replica of the Half Moon

Subsequently, Peter Minuit became director of the colony after purchasing Manhatten from those indians. He was followed by Peter Stuyvesant.

In 1613 and 1614, Adriaen Block, Cornelis Jacobsz May and Thymen Jacobsz Hinlopin undertook commercial explorations to Hudson’s river while surveying and charting the coastline and all river inlets between Cape Cod and the Delaware Bay.

These explorers are still honored today: Adriaen Block, for whom Block Island has been named; Cornelis Jacobsz May, for whom Cape May, NJ is named; and his business partner Thymen Jacobsz Hinlopin for whom Cape Henlopen, Delaware, is named.

More visible traces of Dutch influence include the prevalence of Dutch placenames in the region from Rhode Island to Delaware to this day. Examples include:

• Amsterdam-named after the Dutch capital
• Broadway- "Breede weg"
• Brooklyn-"Breuckelen", named after a Dutch Town
• Catskill- "Kil" is the Dutch word for a river inlet. This one is named after the indian chief named Cats
• Coney Island- "Konynen Eylant", meaning Rabbit Island
• Flushing- named after the Dutch town of Vlissingen
• Harlem- Nieuw Haarlem, named after a major Dutch city
• Hell Gate- "Hellegat", meaning Hell's Passage because of the violent currents, or else Bright Gate
• Hempstead- "Heemstede", the name of a village on the southside of Haarlem Holland and, later, the surrounding town in Nassau County
• Hoboken- a district of Antwerpin Belgium, an estate of the Van Hoboken family.
• Long Island- "Lange Eylant"
• New York was called New Amsterdam until 1665
• Oyster Bay- "Oester Baai"
• Spuyten Duyvil Creek is a one-mile-long channel connecting the Hudson and Harlem Rivers. "Spuyten Duyvil" literally means "Devil's Spout" or Staten Island- "Staaten Eylant", meaning States Island, named for the Dutch assembly Staten-Generaal)
• Tappan Zee- "Zee" is the Dutch word for "sea". The Tappaans were an Indian tribe to the West of the Hudson River where it is widest
• Wall St. -named after the Walloons and then later after the wall that was erected to protect the city against the threat of an English invasion in 1654 during the first Anglo-Dutch war

WHO KNEW?! Should have paid more attention in 5th grade History class!