New Amstel.
In 1656 the Dutch West India Company transferred to the
City of Amsterdam all the
Dutch territory on the
South (
Delaware) River, from the west side of Christian Kill to the mouth of the river, for the sum of 700,000 guilders.
It was named
Nieuwe Amstel, after one of the suburbs belonging to the city between the
Amstel River and the
Haerlem Sea.
The burgomasters of
Amsterdam appointed six commissioners to manage the colony, who were to “sit and hold their meetings at the
West India House on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
The city offered a free passage to emigrants, lands for residences, provisions and clothing for a year, and a proper person for a school-master, who should also read the Scriptures in public, and set the Psalms.
The municipal government was the same as in
Amsterdam.
The colonists were not to be taxed for ten years, and regulations were made in respect to trade The States-General ratified all the arrangements, on condition that when there should be 200 inhabitants in the colony a church should be organized and a clergyman established there.
There was a garrison of sixty soldiers sent out, under
Captain Martin Crygier. Fort Kasimer was transferred to the new corporation, and in April, 1657, nearly 200 emigrants sailed for New Amstel.
A government was formally organized on April 21, 1657 Shipwrecked Englishmen from
Virginia, whom the
Dutch had rescued from the Indians, became residents of New Amstel, and prosperity marked the settlement.
In 1658 there was a “goodly town of about 100 houses,” and the population exceeded 600.
The people, however, soon began to be discontented, and many deserted the colony.
Rumors came that
Maryland was about to claim the territory, and there was much uneasiness and alarm.
These rumors were followed by an agent of the
Maryland government, who demanded that the
Dutch should either take an oath of allegiance to Lord Baltimore or leave Discouragements and disasters followed, and the city council of
Amsterdam proposed to retransfer New Amstel to the Dutch West India Company.
In 1659 the colony was overwhelmed with debt, its soldiers had all left but five, and the inhabited part of the colony did not extend beyond two
Dutch miles from Fort Kasimer.
In 1664 it, with all
New Netherland (q. v.), was surrendered to the
English, who plundered the people of their crops, live-stock, stores, and provisions.
Some of the inhabitants were seized as prisoners of war, and sold into bondage in
Virginia.
