Dutch+in+New+York


 * For more, see Grade 5.5**

The Dutch in New York
===Early Exploration=== In 1602, the United East India Company landed on the shores of what is now New York to try to find a passage to the Indies. Instead the expedition, led by Henry Hudson, found a beautiful river, with fertile land and lots otter and beaver. They traveled up the river all the way to present day Albany. The river became known as the Hudson River. Although they never found a passage to the Indies, they were satisfied that they had found a place that could live and prosper. Because it was cold in Europe, and because Europe was more populated and therefore had fewer wild animals, setting up fur trade with the local people seemed like the perfect plan.

===The Dutch West India Company === Before long, there started to be competition among the Dutch for the profits in the New York. Many companies started to send expeditions to the area. By the 1620s, the Dutch West India Company was the most prominent. Up until this point, there had not been any permanent settlement. But the Dutch West India Company, which was run from Amsterdam, made it a priority to make life in New York more permanent. They wanted strong settlement in place so they could compete with the British, Spanish and French. They made their communities more permanent by doing two things. In 1626, The Dutch West India Company bought the Island of Manhattan from local people, and it became an important center for trade.
 * 1) They sent ships over to New York filled with things like cattle, seeds, and furniture—anything that would allow people to set up homes and sustainable communities. They also paid people to work there. They paid doctors, military, and government officials.
 * 2) When it became too expensive to pay for everything in the new colony, they set up a system they called Platoonship . Under this system, groups of people were given large areas of land. They could cultivate the land, trade, and live independently if they paid for their own expenses.