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The Dutch were another people who never emigrated to America in large numbers. Remember that the people commonly referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch in America are Germans. (Presumably the confusion comes from the German word for German--Deutsche. There is a small Dutch population in American, originating to large part from the first colonizers in New York. Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan from the Native Americans for $24.00 after New Netherland was established (1626). Peter Stuyvesant (1592-1672) founded New Amsterdam in 1647 which became New York. Names like Harlem, Brooklyn, Yonkers, Staten Island, etc. are all of Dutch origin. Individual Dutchmen went everywhere in America, but Michigan and Iowa are the only states where they settled in groups and where some Dutch influence still is still noticeable there . Three American presidents were of Dutch descent: the two Roosevelts and Martin van Buren, rather remarable given the small portion of the Dutch in the American population. A reader notes some Dutch influence in Texas. He writes, "The only place in Texas where I found some Dutch influence was Nederland near Beaumont. I only could tell by the Dutch and Frisian names on the mailboxes."
The Dutch were another people who never emigrated to America in large numbers. Remember that the people commonly referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch in America are Germans. (Presumably the confusion comes from the German word for German--Deutsche.
There is a small Dutch population in American, originating to large part from the first colonizers in New York. Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan from the Native Americans for $24 after New Netherland was established (1626). Peter Stuyvesant (1592-1672) founded New Amsterdam in 1647 which became New York. Names like Harlem, Brooklyn, Yonkers, Staten Island, etc. are all of Dutch origin. New Amsterdam was founded in the early 17th century, about the same times as Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620). The Dutch colony operated for about a half century. They absorbed the neighboring Swedish colony (1655). It was the English of course who came to dominate the North American continent. The Dutch had neither the seapower nor the populstion needed to compete with the English. The English who were able to eventially seize New Amsterdam and end Dutch efforts to colonize North America (1664). New Amstrdam became New York. Interestingly, the more open character of New Amsterdam seems much more in keeping with the American character than the early English comonies, especially the straigt-laced puritans. 【Shorto】
Dutch emigration ended to American largely ended when Britain seized New Amsterdam (1664). It increased for short time after the Napoleonic War when King William I became king (1813). William began promoting industry and putting constraints on the country' religious freedom. In addition, high taxes and low wages, caused some farmers to emigrate to America. They mainly settled down in the upper Midwest. There was also immigrants desiring more religious freedom. Catholic emigrants promoted by Father Theodore J. van den Broek from the southern Netherlands (1840s).
Economic stagnation was a factor (1840s). King William abdicated (1839). Gradually religious oppression abated and the Netherlands resumed its policies of religious tolerance. Some Dutch came to America in the first half of the 19th century. Of course statistical date during this period is not as relaiable va during the second half of the century. , but fewer in the second half when the really large waves of other Europeans came to America. In general, the drivers for emigration in Europe were not as significant in the Netherlands and in many other countries, namely religious repression, militarization, and economic constraints were less notable. In addition, the Dutch Empire--mainly the Dutch East Indies provided opportunities for people that otherwise might have considered emigrating. The Netherlands was a small country to begin with, but when a a limited number of people in a small country choose to emigrate there is an unusually small number of immigrants from the Netherlands. There was a spike in Dutch immigration after World War II, because of the serious economic conditions after the War as well as the loss of the Dutch East Indies, the major Dutch colony.
There are some notable factors about colonial Dutch immigraion to the Americas. Because the Dutch actually established a colony, a very wide range of social classes and persons came. Not only were their ordinary settlers, but there were also represenatives of the ruling class, merchants, and settlers. Also notable was the small number who came, estimated at less than 6,000 persons and this includes Sweeds in the colony seized by the Dutch (1655).
【Boogaart】 Yet according to the Census of 1790 there were about 100,000 Dutch. This substantial increase relect the success of the Dutch in America even after the colony was seized by the British (1664). Also notable is the extent to which the Dutch remained in the area or close to what was New Amsterdam.
Individual Dutchmen went everywhere in America. They of course are most prevalent in New York and New Jersey in the area of New Amsterdam. Small but notable groups of Dutch Quakers and Mennoites settled in Pennsylvania. The Dutch imprint can also be seen in Michigan and Iowa, states where they settled in groups and where some Dutch influence is still noticeable. A reader notes some Dutch influence in Texas. He writes, "The only place in Texas where I found some Dutch influence was Nederland near Beaumont. I only could tell by the Dutch and Frisian names on the mailboxes."
The Census of 1790 found that the Dutch were only about 3 percent of the American population. They were, however, regionally important, over 15 percent of the population of New York and New Jersey. It is important to note that the immigrants that arrived before the Revolutionary Era were a relatively small part of the overall immigration flow, probably about 2 percent. Yet their importance is belied by their numbers because the early immigrants with their culture established the foundation for the nation.
Three American presidents were of Dutch descent: the two Roosevelts and Martin van Buren, rather remarable given the small portion of the Dutch in the American population.
Boogaart, Ernst von den. "The Servant Migration to New Netherlands, 1624-1664," in P.C. Emmer, ed. Colonialism and Migration (Dordrecht, 1986).
Gehring, Charles. Gehring has overseen a New York Statec Library project to translate a wealth of documents from New Amsterdam into English to make them available to American scholars.
Shorto, Russell. The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotton Collony that Shaped America (Doubleday, 2004), 384p. Shorto rather overstates his thesis, but does present some interesting information about New Amsterdam.
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