Beverwijck : a Dutch village on the American frontier, 1652-1664 / Janny Venema.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Venema, Janny.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dutch Americans--New York (State)--Albany--History--17th century.

Dutch Americans.

Frontier and pioneer life--New York (State)--Albany.

Frontier and pioneer life.

Indians of North America--New York (State)--Albany--History--17th century.

Indians of North America.

Albany (N.Y.)--History--17th century.

Albany (N.Y.).

Albany (N.Y.)--Social conditions--17th century.

Albany (N.Y.)--Ethnic relations.

United States--Civilization--Indian influences--Case studies.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (531 p.)

Place of Publication:

Hilversum, the Netherlands : Verloren ; Albany : State University of New York Press, 2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Winner of the 2004 Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of the New York State Archives presented by the Board of Regents and the New State York ArchivesBeverwijck explores the rich history and Dutch heritage of one of North America's oldest cities—Albany, New York. Drawing on documents translated from the colonial Dutch as well as maps, architectural drawings, and English-language sources, Janny Venema paints a lively picture of everyday life in colonial America.In 1652, Petrus Stuyvesant, director general of New Netherland, established a court at Fort Orange, on the west side of New York State's upper Hudson River. The area within three thousand feet of the fort became the village of Beverwijck. From the time of its establishment until 1664, when the English conquered New Netherland and changed the name of the settlement to Albany, Beverwijck underwent rapid development as newly wealthy traders, craftsmen, and other workers built houses, roads, bridges, and a school, as well as a number of inns. A well-organized system of poor relief also helped less wealthy settlers survive in the harsh colonial conditions. Venema's careful research shows that although Beverwijck resembled villages in the Dutch Republic in many ways, it quickly took on features of the new, "American" society that was already coming into being.

Contents:

""Beverwijck""; ""Table of Contents""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Glossary""; ""Introduction""; ""Problem defined""; ""Historiography and definition""; ""Method and sources""; ""I. Constructing a Village: material planning""; ""Van Slichtenhorst, Rensselaerswijck, and the Indians""; ""Van Slichtenhorst and Van Twiller's rule in Rensselaerswijck""; ""Van Slichtenhorst and the Machicans""; ""Van Slichtenhorst and the Maquaes""; ""Planning a center for Rensselaerswijck""; ""Value of maps""; ""Building a bijeenwoninge""; ""Company versus patroon: Escalation of the conflict""

""Development of Beverwijck""""Distributing Patents""; ""Laying out the village""; ""Roads and Bridges""; ""Lots and fences""; ""Houses""; ""Other spaces and construction on the lots""; ""Gardens""; ""Constructions of general interest to the community""; ""Corps de guarde""; ""The Blockhouse church""; ""The poor house""; ""A school""; ""Mills""; ""Brick and tile yards""; ""Indian accommodations""; ""Palisades""; ""Conclusion""; ""II. Beverwijck: Creating an orderly village""; ""Beverwijck's society""; ""A mix of people""; ""Burghership""; ""The burgher guard""; ""Community feelings""

""Forced labor: Slaves""""Stabilizing factors in a new society: The State""; ""The court""; ""Orphan masters""; ""Medical care""; ""Stabilizing factors in a new society: The church""; ""Church and state""; ""A public church""; ""The minister""; ""The consistory""; ""Other church functions""; ""Education""; ""Charity""; ""A new environment: Contact with Indians""; ""Beavers and sewant as currency""; ""Meetings and the exchange of gifts""; ""Communication: Maintaining an iron chain""; ""Indian-Dutch relationships""; ""Conclusion""; ""III. The Van Rensselaers as commercial entrepreneurs""

""Trade in the upper Hudson""""The trading season""; ""Trade items""; ""Trade regulations""; ""The role of women""; ""The Van Rensselaers and the trade""; ""Maintaining the trade in Amsterdam""; ""Maintaining the trade in New Netherland during Jan Baptist's directorship""; ""Maintaining the trade in New Netherland during Jeremias' directorship""; ""Place in the community: Life style""; ""The patroon's property in Beverwijck""; ""The patroon's house on the inside""; ""Outer appearance: Clothing""; ""Social life: The importance of friends""

""Social life: Maintaining friendships in the New World""""Church memberships""; ""Marriage""; ""Family life: Illness, children, and friends""; ""Conclusion""; ""IV. Successful burghers""; ""Dirck Jansz Croon""; ""Active in two worlds""; ""Back in Amsterdam""; ""A family trading network""; ""Pieter Hartgers""; ""Family ties""; ""An active community member""; ""A farewell to Beverwijck""; ""Volckert Jansz""; ""Early arrival and trade""; ""Cooperation and investment in land""; ""A German Lutheran in a Dutch Reformed village""; ""Philip Pietersz Schuyler""; ""Gunstocks, marriage, and trade""

""Property and the value of location""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [484]-501) and indexes.

ISBN:

9780791485019

0791485013

OCLC:

923417130