The Impact of New Netherland

New York's Dutch roots are almost common knowledge to those living in the Capital Region. In 1609, Henry Hudson attempted his third expedition to the New World on behalf of the Dutch West India Company. The route of Hudson’s voyage laid the foundation of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which remained under Dutch control until 1664. The colony was then owned by Britain and it was renamed New York. For many Albanians, this is not new information.

Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto

What is new to people, however, is New Netherland’s influence on American culture. Russell Shorto explains this influence in his book The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America.

Over the course of nearly four hundred pages, Shorto colorfully tells the story of New Netherland and illustrates how values traditionally associated with American culture, such as tolerance towards different religions and customs and being a multi-ethnic society, came directly from the Dutch settlers.

Unlike the New England and Southern colonies, whose founders were motivated by religious freedom or settlement, New Netherland was founded to conduct business and make profits. It was this mentality that may have contributed to its heterogeneity.  

The Dutch settlers built Fort Nassau (later replaced by Fort Orange) in present day Albany. They turned the area into a trading post and traded furs with neighboring Native American tribes. The fort was subsequently settled by French-speaking Belgians called Walloons. As you can see, there was a wide variety of people living and trading in New Netherland.

Early New Netherland settlement

Sitting at the tip of Manhattan Island was another important city in the Dutch colony, New Amsterdam. In 1626, the entire island was bought by New Netherland leader Peter Minuit from Native Americans.

The territory he bought would essentially become the New York City borough of Manhattan. For this reason, it is often considered one of the most historic land purchases in American history.

So New York City, the embodiment of the American melting pot, was actually a melting pot for centuries – since the days it was called New Amsterdam. In fact, following his visit to New Netherland, a Jesuit priest reported of hearing eighteen languages being spoken. That is not unlike visiting New York City today.

The Island at the Center of the World offers an interesting argument about the Dutch settlement of New Netherland and its ties to American values. Whether you believe it or not is up for you to decide, but the idea that one settlement could significantly reshape American history reinforces the importance of learning local history.

Here at the Waterford Museum, local history is always celebrated and recognized for its impact on the larger historical narrative. Stop by Tuesday- Saturday from 10am- 3pm and Sunday 12:30pm- 3pm to check out the artifacts behind it all, like this Dutch psalm book from the 1700s!

Dutch psalm book from 1752

On display at the Waterford Museum

Read more at

http://www.russellshorto.com/bookbook/the-island-at-the-center-of-the-world/

http://www.nyhistory.com/reviews/Island_Center_Westbrook.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/henry-hudson

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycoloni/dahist.html

http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/NNHistory.html

https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/kingston/colonization.htm

The American Revolution Part Two: The War of 1812

Last week I blogged about Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and its influence on the Declaration of Independence. As I pointed out in my post, complete independence from Britain was not unanimously supported by the American colonists, and it took Common Sense to convince those wary of the idea to jump onboard in the fight for freedom.

Still, even with the persuasion of Common Sense and more significantly, the colonies’ victory over Britain in the Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States of America couldn’t shake British rule. This would lead to another war with Britain, the War of 1812 (1812- 1815).

After the Revolutionary War, Britain agreed to recognize the colonies as independent entities and granted them territory east of the Mississippi River. These official agreements were part of the Treaty of Paris 1783, which ended the war.

The Treaty of Paris 1783 doubled the size of the American colonies

The light green represents the new territory

But Britain found ways to exercise control over the United States regardless of the treaty. Overseas, it began impressing American seamen, meaning British ships would capture American ships, and then forced their sailors to serve in the British Army or Navy. Britain additionally blocked the United States from trading with France while France blocked American trade with Britain. The two European countries were adversaries in the Napoleonic Wars, and like two siblings fighting, they brought the United States into the conflict.

An artistic interpretation of British impressment

So Britain interfered with the freedom of American sailors and American trade at sea. It was only fitting that it interfered with similar freedoms on land.

Back on American soil, British soldiers leftover from the Revolutionary War sold guns to Native Americans living in the Northwest Territory (present day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin). By doing so, Americans settling the western lands granted by the Treaty of Paris had to fight off fortified Indian raids.

As you can see, Britain enacted policies that purposely got in the way of American life. It pushed the United States enough to go to war, but as with the Revolutionary War, Americans still had their reservations. They would be up against the best navy in the world for a second time and there was no Common Sense to boost national morale.

A map of New York featuring Sackets Harbor

Despite these initial setbacks, Americans still had notable victories against the British in the War of 1812.The First and Second Battle at Sackets Harbor were two of such victories.

Given its strategic location on Lake Erie, Sackets Harbor, New York, was home to lot of U.S. naval and military activity during the war. By 1813, it served as an important naval station that constructed and supplied U.S. ships.

For this reason, Sackets Harbor was a prime target for Britain and was the site of two battles, both of which the Americans claimed victory.

Featured below is a letter written in October 1812 by Samuel Drake, a soldier who contributed to the American efforts at Sackets Harbor. Addressed to his wife Susan, the letter describes Drake's camp at Sackets Harbor and the ships that were built there.

Samuel Drake's letter from October 8, 1812

Featured at the Waterford Museum along with other letters of Drake's

While the War of 1812 ended in a draw between Britain and the United States, battles like Sackets Harbor and the contributions of soldiers like Drake are the reasons why Americans back then considered the war a second American Revolution. 

By going to war with Britain in the War of 1812, Americans made a pledge to protect their freedoms gained in the American Revolution, even if it meant fighting the Royal Navy and possibly failing. It was this dedication that greatly solidified American nationalism.

To learn more about our country's story, and the many events that shaped it, please pay a visit to the Waterford Museum, where local and national history come together and illustrate the impact of local figures and events on the larger historical narrative.

For more at:
http://revolution.mrdonn.org/treatyofparis.html
http://www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812
http://histclo.com/country/us/hist/19/1812/1812-causei.html
http://sacketsharborbattlefield.org/history.htm
http://sacketsharborny.com/war-of-1812-the-war-years-1812-1814/
http://www.warrencountyschools.org/userfiles/2692/Classes/11541/AP%20US%20History%20Notes%20for%20Sept%2021.pdf

Common Sense: Meet the Other Document Behind Independence Day

This past Tuesday, Americans celebrated the Fourth of July with fireworks, cookouts, and wearing red, white, and blue. Also known as Independence Day, the Fourth of July recognizes the day when the American colonies proclaimed freedom from British rule by adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.

Happy Fourth of July from the Waterford Museum!

The patriotism surrounding the Fourth of July makes it difficult to believe that during the early stages of the American Revolution (1775- 1783), about one third of the colonists disfavored total independence from Britain while another third were on the fence. Britain served as the colonies' primary trading partner and had an extremely skilled navy that offered protection. No British control meant risking good trade relations and losing naval protection.

So how did American colonists go from hesitancy in 1775 to wanting independence in 1776? Well that same year, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet entitled Common Sense that pushed for independence from Britain.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense

In Common Sense, Paine gave an example of an imaginary island inhabited by a group of people who, over time, created their own culture and ties to one another. Therefore, he argued, any laws on the island should be made by the inhabitants, not by some far away country isolated from the islanders’ unique way of life. This story meant to represent the relationship between the American colonies and Britain.

Common Sense changed the minds of many undecided colonists and convinced them to embrace autonomy, allowing the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. However, the American Revolution had only just begun and the colonies' fight for freedom would continue for several years following the Declaration.

It was not an easy fight for either side. The Red Coats (the name for British soldiers) were miles away from their home country and were unfamiliar with America's terrain. The colonists did not have a standing army or navy, but they did have heart, and it was this passion that helped them win the war.

One of such passionate colonists was Allen Gwould, a Revolutionary War citizen solider from Hemlock, New York. Featured below is his plume that is believed to be taken from a Hessian, or a German mercenary that fought for Britain. Perhaps Gwould carried the plume with him as a reminder of past victories or as inspiration for victories to come. More of Gwould's Revolutionary-era belongings can be seen on display at the Waterford Museum's Born of Two Rivers exhibit.

Plume c.1776, at the Waterford Museum

The history behind our country's birthday goes beyond the Declaration of Independence. A significant amount of colonists did not want total independence from Britain at first and those who did were against the odds. It just goes to show you that a little bit of heart, or for some, a change of heart, goes a long way. Without Common Sense invigorating the colonists, the Declaration of Independence may not have been adopted and the colonies may not have been victorious in the Revolutionary War.

Read more at:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-colonies-declare-independence
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/commonsense/summary.html
http://www.ushistory.org/us/11b.asp
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/revwartimeline.html

Planes,Trains, and Automobiles? Actually Just Trains

Have you ever thought about life without modern transporation? A life without planes, trains or automoblies? With summertime traffic and construction, and the recent bad press on airline industries, I'm sure many of us can admit we take modern transportation for granted.

My commute to the Waterford Historical Museum takes about 30 minutes, but 200 years ago, it would have taken all day by stagecoach, especially on dirt roads that were pothole ridden. For all those traveling for the Fourth of July, remember this when you're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-87. It could actually be worse.

I-87 can be a nightmare. Pictured here is southbound traffic

Several weeks ago I blogged about the Erie Canal and the Champlain Canal and how they improved transportation in the 1800s. This is true for shipping goods, but not so much for passenger travel.

The locks on the Erie Canal were extremely narrow, and packet boats (the passenger-liners on the canal) had to be small enough to fit the length and width of the locks. Only so many people could fit on these ships. On top of their small size, travel by packet boats was still pretty slow and going through the canal locks slowed pace even more.

A packet boat on the Erie Canal

In Albany, boats had to maneuver sixteen locks to pass through the Cohoes Falls on the Erie Canal. Unsurprisingly, it became congested with boat traffic and local residents opted for cheaper travel by stagecoach if they wanted to get across the river to Schenectady.

This major inconvenience prompted the building of New York's first railroad, the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad. Chartered in 1826 and completed in 1831, the Mohawk and Hudson ran from Albany to Schenectady and cut travel time for passengers going to either city. They no longer had to chose between slow and slower.

The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, later named the

Albany and Schenectady Railroad in 1847

The Mohawk and Hudson became part of the New York Central System

In 1831, the Schenectady and Saratoga Railroad was chartered as an extension of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad. The idea was to connect Saratoga Springs business to Schenectady and Albany, but this upset Troy merchants bypassed by the rail line. They obtained a charter for the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad in 1832 to gain access to Saratoga.

But the Rensselaer and Saratoga did not have a successful first start. On its first return trip from Ballston Spa, several passenger cars derailed because a cow had wandered onto the tracks at the wrong time. As you can see, travel during the 1800s was very difficult. It was either painfully slow, unsafe, or both.

The Delaware & Hudson by Jim Shaughnessy, the book behind this article.
Available to researchers at the Waterford Museum!

However, technological advancements on the locomotive and the standardization of train tracks made railroads safer, creating a Golden Age of railroads from the late 1800s to 1920. During this time, railroads helped settle the West and, since most tracks were in the North, gave the Union Army an advantage over the Confederate Army in the Civil War by quickly moving supplies and troops. Even though the railroad Golden Age ended, many people still value its history, like the original owner of the model train below.

Keystone Model Train c. 1920s, featured at the Waterford Museum

Made by the Keystone Manufacturing Company in Boston, this train represents an important moment in American transportation. It dates to the early 20th century, just as automobiles began superseding trains in popularity, and is made of metal. On its side are the words "Keystone R.R.," a reference to the company name.

Note the Keystone R.R. decal

While the Keystone Manufacturing Company no longer exists, model trains continue to be a popular item sold by toy companies. Real or not, trains hold a unique history within their engines. From carrying Albany passengers to Schenectady to carrying Union soldiers into battle, railroads were a significant mode of transportation that shaped American history at the local and national level. Without railroads, who knows where we would be.

With that, the Waterford Historical Museum wishes everyone safe travels during the holiday weekend!


Read more at
https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/fast-horse-carriage-c368f32c2aede314
http://www.lowbridgeproductions.com/erie-canal-images-shuttle.html
http://members.localnet.com/~docsteve/railroad/local.htm#mohawkhudson
http://www.american-rails.com/mohawk-and-hudson-railroad.html
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger-rail/passenger-rail-service/history-railroads
http://www.gatewaynmra.org/2004/railroads-in-the-civil-war/
http://www.collectingkeystone.com/company-info/history/