Donck, Adriaen van der

Adriaen van der Donck has been described as one of the first true Americans: a man with more loyalty for his new country than his old. After obtaining a law degree, he left for the New Netherlands in 1641 to help establish law and order in the colony. At this time, the colony was under the leadership of the Dutch West Indies Company who appointed a governor to enforce their will. Adriaen van der Donck wanted the colonists to have the same rights as citizens of other Dutch towns, a viewpoint … [Read more...]

New York

When surfing the internet, I discovered some great image databases with early images of New York City. For most of the emigrants from the Netherlands that went to the United States, New York was their first meeting with their new home. These online resources offer a nice glimpse into their world. … [Read more...]