Rijksmuseum displays New York's 'birth certificate'

[Puffin13]

Rijksmuseum displays New York's 'birth certificate'
30 March 2009

An exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Return to Manhattan, includes the only evidence of the purchase of the island from the Indians for 60 guilders.

The centrepiece of the exhibition Return to Manhattan - 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage is a letter from Pieter Schaghen, a representative of the Dutch States General.

In the letter dating from 1626, the sale of Manhattan, "valued at 60 guilders", is documented. It is the only evidence of the historical event as the actual purchase contract for Manhattan no longer exists.

Manhattan was discovered in 1609 by Henry Hudson, who sailed from Amsterdam on the ship The Half Moon in search of a quick passage to the Orient for the Dutch East India Company. Five months later he sailed up the river which would later bear his name. In 1624, New Netherlands was established on Manhattan. A year later the Dutch trading post was renamed New Amsterdam. Eventually, the city changed its name again to New York.

The exhibition, which runs until 1 June, includes the oldest map of Manhattan as an island in 1614 and a famous seascape of New Amsterdam by Johannes Vingboons from around 1665.

Return to Manhattan marks 400 years of relations between the Netherlands and New York. It will travel to New York in September.

Source

[OneForTheRoad]

Now that's something I would have like to have seen. Shame I'm not going to get over until later in the year.

[NirvanaEJ]

Eventually, the city changed its name again to New York.

eventually, the Dutch just gave up the town to the Brits, a lot of good that did....Peace