So, did all the early residents of New Netherland come from the Netherlands? In most of the North American colonies, diversity was at a minimum. New England tended to be settled mainly by English settlers and New France mainly by French settlers. New Netherland was unique in that immigrants came from a variety of places beside the Netherlands. In 1646, Father Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit priest, visited the colony and wrote,
The answer is no!"On the island of Manhate, and in its environs, there may well be four or five hundred men of different sects and nations: the Director General told me that there were men of eighteen different languages..."The Dutch have been estimated to have made up somewhere around 50% of the settlers of New Netherland.Where did they come from?
Click on one of the regions below (America, Africa, or Europe) to learn more about the origins of the residents of New Netherland
Okay, so, how do I determine where my New Netherland ancestor came from? (Click here to find out.)
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Michelle's Main Page New Netherland Family History If the imagemap does not work, click here: America, Africa,Europe
To contact me: michelle@boydhouse.com
Last updated 4 Nov 2003.
© Michelle Boyd, 2003.