Friday, May 20, 2011
1642 - 1644
Under threat of Native American attacks many settlers return to Holland. Manhattan's population drops from 300 to 100.
1642
Religious dissenters from Massachusetts settle Gravenzande (Gravesend).
October Englishman John Throgmorton settles 35 households at Throg's Neck, where East River meets Long Island South. Dutch and Native Americans sign treaty, in Jonas Bronck's home, to end war. Sadly, fighting still continues for 2 years.
English settlement of Newtown: Revd. Doughty has charter to settle head of Newtown Creek and calls settlement Maspeth. 3 Long Island villages join to form Breukelen. Town's 1st inn, The Stadt Herberg (City Tavern) is built at 71-73 Pearl Street, overlooking the Great Dock and East River. Government officials conduct business on the upper floors, within easy reach of bar. Director General Kieft and Dutch Reformed congregation build a grand stone and timbered church in fort. Sly Kieft asks for contributions to the building fund after the 5th round of drinks at a wedding reception! St. Nicholas Church serves as a refuge during Indian raids and survives for 99 years but blocks the wind from nearby windmills creating flour shortages. Earliest ferry between Manhattan and Long Island (Fulton Street to Peck Slip).
Dutch discover New Zealand.
October Englishman John Throgmorton settles 35 households at Throg's Neck, where East River meets Long Island South. Dutch and Native Americans sign treaty, in Jonas Bronck's home, to end war. Sadly, fighting still continues for 2 years.
English settlement of Newtown: Revd. Doughty has charter to settle head of Newtown Creek and calls settlement Maspeth. 3 Long Island villages join to form Breukelen. Town's 1st inn, The Stadt Herberg (City Tavern) is built at 71-73 Pearl Street, overlooking the Great Dock and East River. Government officials conduct business on the upper floors, within easy reach of bar. Director General Kieft and Dutch Reformed congregation build a grand stone and timbered church in fort. Sly Kieft asks for contributions to the building fund after the 5th round of drinks at a wedding reception! St. Nicholas Church serves as a refuge during Indian raids and survives for 99 years but blocks the wind from nearby windmills creating flour shortages. Earliest ferry between Manhattan and Long Island (Fulton Street to Peck Slip).
Dutch discover New Zealand.
1641
1 in 4 business premises sell liquor and beer. At corner of Whitehall and Stone Street, 1st official tavern is At the sign of the Wooden Horse. When serving in the militia, its owner had been sentenced to carry a pitcher of beer and a sword while riding a sharp-spined wooden horse on parade. James Bronck, a Dane who had arrived in July 1939, purchases 500 acres between the Harlem River and the Aquahung River, soon known as Bronck's River; hence borough's name.
April 11
Drinking on Sunday during church hours is outlawed. Residents ignore this (a stronger law is passed 15 years later). Army detachment investigates theft of a pig, stolen by Dutch criminals en route to Delaware. Kieft's troops think Raitan Indians guilty and attack them, launching Governor Kieft's War, a struggle between Europeans in the northeast and various local tribes - tribes that are often at war with one another. 11 tribes attack the small settlement in Manhattan. Native Americans of Long Island, Hackensack and Westchester, once friendly, kill isolated farmers and take wives and children as captives. In September, when Raritan Indians attack Dutch settlements along Hackensack River and on Staten Island, the Dutch abandon these. Semptember - Annual livestock fairs to begin in Manhattan.
Hanging Spectacle
City's 1st public hanging in Hanover Square: Dutch West India Company slaves who had killed a slave are threatened with torture if they do not name killer. All confess, assuming company will not want to lose 9 slaves. Governor Kieft orders them to draw straws. Gerrit loses. Many come to see this huge man hang but when the ladder is pulled away, both ropes break and he falls to the ground in agony. Gerrit is released. 3 years later he is emancipated and becomes one of the earliest landowners in Greenwich Village.
Kieft states: "A great deal of bad seawant (wampun) .. imported from other places - is in circulation, while the good, splendid seawant is out of sight or exported., which must cause the ruin of the country".
New Council of Twelve is chosen by male heads of households to advise Director General.
April 11
Drinking on Sunday during church hours is outlawed. Residents ignore this (a stronger law is passed 15 years later). Army detachment investigates theft of a pig, stolen by Dutch criminals en route to Delaware. Kieft's troops think Raitan Indians guilty and attack them, launching Governor Kieft's War, a struggle between Europeans in the northeast and various local tribes - tribes that are often at war with one another. 11 tribes attack the small settlement in Manhattan. Native Americans of Long Island, Hackensack and Westchester, once friendly, kill isolated farmers and take wives and children as captives. In September, when Raritan Indians attack Dutch settlements along Hackensack River and on Staten Island, the Dutch abandon these. Semptember - Annual livestock fairs to begin in Manhattan.
Hanging Spectacle
City's 1st public hanging in Hanover Square: Dutch West India Company slaves who had killed a slave are threatened with torture if they do not name killer. All confess, assuming company will not want to lose 9 slaves. Governor Kieft orders them to draw straws. Gerrit loses. Many come to see this huge man hang but when the ladder is pulled away, both ropes break and he falls to the ground in agony. Gerrit is released. 3 years later he is emancipated and becomes one of the earliest landowners in Greenwich Village.
Kieft states: "A great deal of bad seawant (wampun) .. imported from other places - is in circulation, while the good, splendid seawant is out of sight or exported., which must cause the ruin of the country".
New Council of Twelve is chosen by male heads of households to advise Director General.
1640
Cornelius Melyn arrives on Staten Island with 41 settlers. Dutch West India Company promises to send, "as many blacks as possible" to colony.
Native American uprising. Governor Kieft tries to end rife smuggling. He orders sailors to stay on ship at night (but they still drink in saloons), prohibits "fighting, lewdness, rebellion, theft, perjury, calumny", and issues passports to restrict foreigners - but fails in all this. Wealthy Frenchman, Picquet, denounces Kieft as, "a betrayer of his country, a villain and a traitor", and offers to shoot the Director General if no one else will !
May 10
Canarsee chief Penhawitz sells land around Jamaica Bay to Dutch West India Company.
Native American uprising. Governor Kieft tries to end rife smuggling. He orders sailors to stay on ship at night (but they still drink in saloons), prohibits "fighting, lewdness, rebellion, theft, perjury, calumny", and issues passports to restrict foreigners - but fails in all this. Wealthy Frenchman, Picquet, denounces Kieft as, "a betrayer of his country, a villain and a traitor", and offers to shoot the Director General if no one else will !
May 10
Canarsee chief Penhawitz sells land around Jamaica Bay to Dutch West India Company.
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