Humpday History Highlight
By Wyatt Earp | September 8, 2010
September 8, 1664 – New Amsterdam becomes New York
Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron under Colonel Richard Nicolls. Stuyvesant had hoped to resist the English, but he was an unpopular ruler, and his Dutch subjects refused to rally around him. Following its capture, New Amsterdam’s name was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, who organized the mission.
The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 and grew to encompass all of present-day New York City and parts of Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. A successful Dutch settlement in the colony grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and was christened New Amsterdam.
In 1664, New Amsterdam passed to English control, and English and Dutch settlers lived together peacefully. In 1673, there was a short interruption of English rule when the Netherlands temporary regained the settlement. In 1674, New York was returned to the English, and in 1686 it became the first city in the colonies to receive a royal charter.
Immediately after the name change, the residents became obnoxious blowhards.
Topics: HHH | 6 Comments »
September 8th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Why they changed it, I can’t say-
People just liked it better that way!
September 8th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Sally Anne – That explains why you stood me up on that date in Constantinople. You were waiting in Istanbul!
September 8th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
SallyAnne & Wyatt: Holy shit, youse guys know your old music (4 Lads)!
September 9th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Watuschskie – Yeah, we’re good with useless knowledge. Did you know that They Might Be Giants perform many themes for Disney Channel shows? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Higglytown Heroes to name a few.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
I just think it is interesting to learn about the period in America before we were the United States. In school we learn about the Jamestown colony in 1607 and the Pilgrims landing in 1620 then flash forward to 1775 or so. Think about what has changed around here in the last 150 years and they lived in New York and the rest of the colonies for 150 years before the Revolution even started. I guess being from the west coast I find that just fascinating.
September 9th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Ingineer66 – As many problems as we have in this town, it is a wealth of history.