New Netherland Council Dutch Colonial Ordinances

Item

Country

US

Name of institution (official language of the state)

New York State Archives

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

http://www.archives.nysed.gov/

Contact information: email

archinfo@nysed.gov (general)
archref@nysed.gov (reference services)

Reference number

A1875

Type of reference number

Archival reference number

Title (official language of the state)

New Netherland Council Dutch Colonial Ordinances

Language of title

eng

Creator / accumulator

New Netherland Council

Date(s)

1647/1658

Language(s)

dut

Extent

0.2 linear metres

Type of material

Textual Material

Scope and content

This series comprises the ordinances, laws and regulations written to govern and maintain order in the communities of New Netherland. The ordinances cover many aspects of daily life and commerce. The series includes an ordinance on August 28, 1655, exempting Jews between 16 and 60 years of age from military service and obliging them to pay a monthly fine (box 17, vol. 16, part 1, doc. 59). A digital copy of the document is available online:

"Ordinance exempting Jewish individuals between 16 and 60 years old from military service and obliging them to pay a monthly fine."

Archival history

This series was initially part one of volume 16 of the New York Historical Manuscripts in the New York State Library.

Administrative / Biographical history

The government of New Netherland, as defined by the Dutch West India Company (WIC), consisted of the director of the colony assisted by a council composed of his commissary, secretary, "schout" (an appointed law enforcement officer with the combined duties of a sheriff and prosecuting attorney), and any skippers in port at the time. This body carried out all government executive, legislative, and judicial functions, except matrimonial rites, settlement of estates, including those of persons dying intestate, and administration of contracts.
From 1653, when New Amsterdam received its charter as a municipality, the council served as a court of appeal for New Amsterdam and other jurisdictions and concentrated on executive matters such as making appointments, issuing proclamations, passing ordinances, replying to petitions, and corresponding with governments of neighbouring colonies.
Laws and ordinances enacted by the council in Manhattan were adhered to by all communities in New Netherland unless specific to one locality. By 1658 communities were required to post previous hit WIC ordinances in their jurisdictions and submit their own ordinances for approval by the council in Manhattan. The council in Manhattan had to submit its ordinances to the previous hit WIC directors in Amsterdam for approval.

(source: New York State Archives online catalogue)

Access points: locations

New York, New York (USA)

Access points: corporate bodies

West-Indische Compagnie (WIC)

Access points: subject terms

Sephardim in North America

Jewish-Christian relations

Legal status of Jews

Taxation

17th century

Access points: document types

State records

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. Digital copies are available on:

New York State Archives Digital Collections

Finding aids

O’Callaghan, E.B. 1865. Calendar of Historical Manuscripts in the Office of the Secretary of State, Albany, N.Y. Albany.

Links to finding aids

New York State Archives online catalogue

Author of the description

Carla Vieira, 2023

Item sets

WSD Roadmap

WSD Roadmap finais

WSD Roadmap USA