At that time Holland was the asylum thirty families (110 men, women, and for the oppressed for conscience' sake children), mostly Walloons, with agricultfrom all lands. There was a class of ural implements, live-stock of every kind, refugees there called Walloons, natives and a sufficient quantity of household furof the southern Belgic provinces, whose niture, sailed from the Texel early in inhabitants, about forty years before, March, 1623, with Cornelius Jacobus May, being chiefly Roman Catholics, had refused of Hoorn, as commander, who was also to join those of the northern provinces to remain as first director, or governor, in a confederacy. The Protestants of these of the colony. They took the tedious provinces (now Belgium) were made to southern route, and did not reach Manfeel the lash of Spanish persecution, and hattan until the beginning of May, where thousands of them fled to Holland. These they found a French vessel at the mouth were the Walloons, who spoke the French of the Hudson, whose commander had language. They were a hardy, industrious been trying to set up the arms of France race, and introduced many of the useful on the shore, and to take possession of arts into their adopted country. Some the country in the name of the French of them wished to emigrate to Virginia, monarch. The yacht Mackerel had just but the terms of the London Company come down the river. With two cannon were not liberal, and they accepted pro- taken from the little fort at the southposals from the Dutch West India Com- ern end of the island, the Frenchman pany to emigrate to New Netherland. was compelled to desist. His vessel was A ship of 260 tons burden, laden with convoyed to sea, when it went round to

the Delaware, and there her commander of extensive domains, with manorial privattempted the same kind of proclamation ileges, were offered to wealthy persons of sovereignty. He was treated by the who should induce a certain number of Dutch settlers there as at Manhattan, when he sailed for France. This performance was the last attempt of the French to assert jurisdiction south of lat. 45° N., until a long time afterwards.

great rascals. His administration was a stormy one. He exasperated the surrounding Indian tribes by his cruelties, and so disgusted the colonists by his conduct that, at their request, he was recalled, and sailed for Europe, with ill-gotten wealth, in the spring of 1647, and perished by shipwreck on the shores of Wales.

He

settlers to people and cultivate these lands. Under this arrangement some of the most valuable part of the lands of the company passed into the possession of a few persons, and an aristocratic element was These emigrants were soon scattered introduced. The colony was flourishing to different points to form settlements when Governor Minuit returned to Amstersome to Long Island, some to the Con- dam, in 1632, and was succeeded next necticut River, others to the present Ul- year by Wouter Van Twiller, who had ster county, and others founded Albany, married a niece of Killian Van Renssewhere the company had built Fort Or- laer, a rich pearl merchant, and who beange. Four young couples, married on came a patroon. Van Twiller was stupid, shipboard, went to the Delaware, and be- but shrewd, and the colony prospered in gan a settlement on the east side of the spite of him. At the end of four years river (now Gloucester), 4 miles below he was succeeded by WILLIAM KIEFT (q. Philadelphia, where they built a small r.), a spiteful, rapacious, and energetic fortification, and called it Fort Nassau. man, whom De Vries numbered among Eight seamen, who went with them, remained and formed a part of the colony. The company, encouraged by successful trading, nurtured the colony. In 1626 they sent over Peter Minuit as governor, who bought Manhattan Island of the natives, containing, it was estimated, 22,000 acres. At its southern end he built a fort, calling it Fort Amsterdam, and the village that grew up near it was afterwards named NEW AMSTERDAM (q. v.). The States-General constituted it a county of Holland. So it was that, within fifteen years after the discoveries of Hudson, the foundations of this great commonwealth were firmly laid by industrious and virtuous families, most of them voluntary exiles from their native lands, to avoid persecution on account of theological dogmas. These were followed by others, equally good and industrious. In 1629 the company gave to the settlers a charter of "privileges and exemptions," which encouraged the emigration of thrifty farmers from the fatherland. As much land was offered to such emigrants as they could cultivate, with "free liberty of hunting and fowling." under the directions of the governor. They also offered to every person who should "discover any shore, bay, or other fit place for erecting fisheries or the making of Bradford, of Plymouth, gave notice to salt-ponds," an absolute property in the same. As the rural population of Holland were not generally rich enough to avail themselves of these privileges, grants

Peter Stuyvesant succeeded Kieft. was a brave soldier, who had lost a leg in battle, and came to New Netherland from Curacoa, where he had been governor. He was then forty-four years of age, energetic, just, and so self-willed that Washington Irving called him "Peter the Headstrong." He conciliated the Indian tribes, and systematically administered the affairs of the colony. He came in collision with the Swedes on the Delaware and the English on the Connecticut River. During his administration he subdued the Swedes (1655), and annexed the territory to New Netherland. Finally serious political troubles overtook the colony. From the beginning of the settlement the English claimed New Netherland as a part of Virginia, resting their claim upon the discovery of Cabot. In 1622 the English minister at The Hague demanded the abandonment of the Dutch settlements on the Hudson. Five years afterwards Governor

Governor Minuit that the patent of New
England covered the domain of New
Netherland. In the spring of 1664 Charles
II. granted to his brother James. Duke

of York, all New Netherland, including the tenant-governor, afraid of the people, fled.. region of country between the Hudson and Jacob Leisler, a merchant of republican Delaware rivers; and in August the same tendencies, administered the government year an English fleet appeared before New for some time in the name of the new Amsterdam and demanded its surrender. sovereigns, William and Mary. When Governor Stuyvesant resisted for a while, Sloughter, the royal governor, came, the but was compelled to comply, and the enemies of Leisler procured his execution whole territory claimed by the Dutch by hanging (see LEISLER, JACOB). During passed into the possession of the English these political troubles, western New on Sept. 8, 1664. York, then inhabited by the Seneca Ind

At the treaty of peace between England ians, was invaded by the French, under and Holland, the Dutch were allowed to De Nonville, governor of Canada. Two.

retain the colony of Surinam, in Guiana, years later (1689) the Five Nations reEngland retaining New York. Edmund taliated by invading Canada. The retribuAndros was appointed governor, and a for- tion was terrible. More than 1,000 French mal surrender of the province occurred settlers were slain, and the whole provin October. In 1683 Thomas Dongan be- ince was threatened with destruction. The came governor, and, under instructions French then attacked the English. A from the Duke of York, he called an as- party of Canadians and Indians burned sembly of representatives chosen by the Schenectady in 1690, and murdered nearpeople, and a charter of liberties was ly all of the inhabitants. In 1691 the given to the colonists. This was the province of New York was redivided into foundation of representative government ten counties-namely, New York, Westin New York; but the privileges promised chester, Ulster, Albany, Dutchess, Orange, were denied. When James was driven Richmond, Kings, Queens, and Suffolk. from the throne, and Nicholson, the lieu- Cornwall county, in Maine, and Dukes.