even old new york was once new amsterdam

I studied history in college because I liked how the discipline explained things. I liked to trace things backwards in order to shed light on the reasons why certain things are the way they are and why certain people behave the way they do. I loved how studying history allowed events from the past to come alive to me in the present. Getting to the root of a moment absolutely thrills me.

Which is perhaps why I thoroughly enjoyed my most recent read: The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto. Like its title suggests, it's the story of the Dutch West India Company trading settlement on and around Manhattan Island and inland up the Hudson River. Based primarily on the official documents recording the colony's settlement and progression, which are currently being translated into modern English from 17th century swirling Dutch script, the book sets out to correct the myth that America's first (and only) roots came from Puritan New England. In fact, the Dutch had already been comfortably settled in the New World about a decade before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

At the center of the story are two principal characters: Adriaen van der Donck, an enlightened young lawyer whose ideas of representative government are more than a century ahead of his time; and his nemesis in the New World, Peter Stuyvesant, the gruff director of the New Netherland colony. The two men were nearly always at odds, one desperately trying to progress the colony's method of government forward, the other fiercely clinging to already well-established traditions. Both, however, along with their fellow settlers, did much to shape America as we know it today.

When you think of 21st century Manhattan, I'm sure you conjure up images of rowdy, multi-ethnic citizens, big business, and a lot of hustle and bustle. When you imagine 17th century Manhattan, do you summon similar images? Because you should. As a major port settlement in a growing global economy, New Amsterdam was geographically suited to not only attract swarthy individuals, but also wealthy traders eager to do business. As word of readily available land and opportunity spread, settlers from all over Europe made their way to New Netherland and put down roots. In Europe, the Netherlands were known for their tolerance of religion, cultures, and ideas, and this tolerance continued on (to a limited 17th century degree) in its North American colony as it attracted Europeans from all walks of life. A walk down a street in New Amsterdam, crossing the paths of busy, determined people with cultures and personal convictions as varied as the throng of trade that passed in and out of the city's ports, would be remarkably similar to a walk through Lower Manhattan today. I find that fascinating, and I have the original Dutch settlers, with their ideas of tolerance and knack for business, to thank for it.


The book was fascinating and surprising readable (i.e. being coined as a "history buff" is not a requirement to enjoy this book), and I highly recommend it. I assure you, too, that Shorto does a much better job of explaining exactly how the Dutch colony helped shape today's America than I ever could. So pick up a copy and give yourself a bit of further education on early American history and how it has created the American culture we know today.