Dutch Americans in New York City

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Dutch people have had a continuous presence in New York City for nearly 400 years, being the earliest European settlers. New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded on the southern tip of Manhattan Island by Dutch colonists in 1624. The settlement was named New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) in 1626 and was chartered as a city in 1653.[1] Because of the history of Dutch colonization, Dutch culture, politics, law, architecture, and language played a formative role in shaping the culture of the city. The Dutch were the majority in New York City until the early 1700s and the Dutch language was commonly spoken until the mid to late-1700s.[2] Many places and institutions in New York City still bear a colonial Dutch toponymy, including Brooklyn (Breukelen), Harlem (Haarlem), Wall Street (Waal Straat), The Bowery (bouwerij (“farm”), and Coney Island (conyne).[3]

Culture[]

The New York Dutch Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art features historical artifacts from Dutch homes in New York.[4]

The African American Pinkster Committee of New York (AAPCNY) along with the African Burial Ground National Monument hold an annual pinkster celebration in New York City. Originally a Dutch Christian holiday celebrating Pentecost, pinkster has subsequently evolved into a primarily African-American holiday incorporating elements of Angolan, Congolese, and other African culture.[5]

Institutions and landmarks[]

The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York is a charitable organization whose membership is composed of men who are descended from New York's early inhabitants, many of whom can trace their ancestry back to the earliest colonial Dutch settlers.[6]

The Wyckoff House, an historic house in Brooklyn's Canarsie neighborhood, is the oldest surviving example of Dutch frame architecture in the United States, dating to 1652.[7]

Religion[]

Christianity[]

List of former Dutch Reformed churches in New York City:

Judaism[]

The Ansche Chesed synagogue on the Upper West Side was founded in 1828 by a group of Dutch, German, and Polish Jews who split off from Congregation B'nai Jeshurun.[8]

Notable New Yorkers of Dutch descent[]

See also[]

  • New Netherlands

References[]

  1. ^ "United States History—History of New York City". Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "When Did New York Stop Speaking Dutch?". New York Almanack. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  3. ^ "What's Left of New York's Dutch Past?". BBC. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  4. ^ "The New York Dutch Room". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  5. ^ "Pinkster Celebration". National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  6. ^ "DUTCH DESCENDANTS DINE.; They Join in Celebrating for the Saint Nicholas Society". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  7. ^ "Wyckoff House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. 2021-05-15.
  8. ^ "Ansche Chesed History". 2009. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021.

External links[]

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