New Netherland Council Dutch Colonial Administrative Correspondence
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
New York State Archives, New York State Education Department, Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230
Contact information: phone number
001 (518) 474-8955 (reference services)
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
archinfo@nysed.gov (general)
archref@nysed.gov (reference services)
archref@nysed.gov (reference services)
Reference number
A1810
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
New Netherland Council Dutch Colonial Administrative Correspondence
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
New Netherland. Council
Date(s)
1646/1664
Language(s)
dut
Extent
0.7 linear metres
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This series contains administrative correspondence of Peter Stuyvesant during his 17-year term as director-general of the colony of New Netherland (1647-1664). The correspondence consists mainly of incoming letters from the directors of the West India Company in Amsterdam and the governors of neighbouring colonies. The letters address matters relating to the defence, commercial interests, and prosperity of Dutch holdings in North America and the Caribbean. Most outgoing correspondence, copied into separate books for future reference, is no longer extant. Therefore, this series generally represents a one-way correspondence from the directors to Stuyvesant.
Among Stuyvesant's correspondence are numerous references to the early Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam (New York). Some examples are the following:
Box 22, vol. 12, doc. 18, April 26, 1655: Letter from the directors at Amsterdam to the Director General and Council addressing several topics, including the small Jewish community in New Amsterdam.
Box 22, vol. 12, doc. 36, March 13, 1656: Letter from the directors to the Director General and Council of New Netherland in which they wrote that Jews should have the same privileges in New Netherland as they had in Holland, except religious liberty.
Box 22, vol. 12, doc. 39, June 14, 1656: Letter from the directors to Peter Stuyvesant on establishing a Jewish quarter in New Amsterdam and other subjects.
Among Stuyvesant's correspondence are numerous references to the early Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam (New York). Some examples are the following:
Box 22, vol. 12, doc. 18, April 26, 1655: Letter from the directors at Amsterdam to the Director General and Council addressing several topics, including the small Jewish community in New Amsterdam.
Box 22, vol. 12, doc. 36, March 13, 1656: Letter from the directors to the Director General and Council of New Netherland in which they wrote that Jews should have the same privileges in New Netherland as they had in Holland, except religious liberty.
Box 22, vol. 12, doc. 39, June 14, 1656: Letter from the directors to Peter Stuyvesant on establishing a Jewish quarter in New Amsterdam and other subjects.
Archival history
The colonial administrative correspondence originally constituted volumes 11-15 of the New York Historical Manuscripts in the New York State Library. The 1911 New York State Capitol fire caused volumes 11 and 12 to lose the edges of each page.
Administrative / Biographical history
The Dutch West India Company (WIC) appointed Peter Stuyvesant (1612-1672) director-general of New Netherland, Curaçao, Bonaire, Aruba, and their dependencies in 1647, a position in which he served until 1664. During the first six years of his term, he successfully dealt with significant problems that had mounted during the previous administration, including issues relating to trade with native tribes; boundary lines between New England and New Netherland; competition for trade in the Delaware Valley with England and Sweden; encounters with New Sweden settlements on the Delaware River; trade in the Caribbean; and the relationship between Rensselaerwijck, the patroonship of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, and Fort Orange and the WIC. Despite the problems with the Swedes and Native Americans in the Hudson Valley, 1654 to 1664 marked a period of growth in New Netherland.
Access points: locations
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
System of arrangement
This series is arranged chronologically by date of correspondence.
Access, restrictions
Photostat use copies of selected documents are available at the New York State Archives.
Retrieval of records from secure storage is subject to delay. Researchers are encouraged to use digitized versions or published translations.
High-resolution images of all original documents in this series are available on:
Retrieval of records from secure storage is subject to delay. Researchers are encouraged to use digitized versions or published translations.
High-resolution images of all original documents in this series are available on:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2023
Published primary sources
Linked resources
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