Colonial Pillars
An in-depth exploration of the individuals who governed the territory of New York during its formative colonial periods, from Dutch Directors to British Royal Governors.
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Forging a Colony: An Overview
Dutch Foundations
The region destined to become New York was initially settled by European colonists as the Dutch province of New Netherland in the 17th century. This venture, driven by the Dutch West India Company, aimed to exploit the North American fur trade. The colony grew into a significant port, characterized by a diverse population and its capital, New Amsterdam, situated on Manhattan Island.
English Ascendancy
In 1664, English forces seized control of New Netherland, renaming it New York. Despite a brief Dutch recapture between 1673 and 1674, the territory remained under English and later British rule until the American Revolution. This period saw the establishment of the Province of New York, with its governance evolving under various colonial administrators.
Shared Governance
From 1702 to 1738, New York and the neighboring colony of New Jersey shared a common royal governor. This arrangement, initiated under Queen Anne, reflected the administrative structures of the time and influenced the development of both regions before New Jersey was granted its own distinct governor.
Dutch Era: Directors of New Netherland (1624โ1664; 1673โ1674)
The leadership of New Netherland was vested in Directors or Director-Generals, appointed by the Dutch West India Company. These individuals managed the colony's affairs, trade, and defense during its formative years.
# | Director (or Director-General) |
Took Office | Left Office | Key Contributions & Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cornelius Jacobsen May | 1624 | 1625 | Explored key waterways; established initial outposts. Cape May named in his honor. |
2 | Willem Verhulst | 1625 | 1626 | Initiated construction of Fort Amsterdam; faced colonial discontent. |
3 | Peter Minuit | 1626 | 1631 | Facilitated the famous purchase of Manhattan Island for 60 guilders. |
4 | Sebastiaen Jansen Krol | 1632 | 1633 | Served as Commander at Fort Orange before and after his term. |
5 | Wouter van Twiller | 1633 | 1638 | Expanded colonial claims; faced territorial disputes with New England and Virginia settlers. |
6 | Willem Kieft | 1638 | 1647 | Oversaw periods of conflict, including Kieft's War; dismissed by the Company. |
7 | Peter Stuyvesant | 1647 | 1664 | Last Dutch Director-General; authorized settlements, managed conflicts (Peach War, Esopus Wars), and ultimately surrendered the colony to the English. Also served as Director of Curaรงao. |
Brief Restoration: New Orange (1673โ1674)
During the Third Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch briefly recaptured New Amsterdam, renaming it New Orange. This period of Dutch administration was short-lived, concluding with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster.
Portrait | Governor | Took Office | Left Office | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Colve | 1673 | 1674 | Governed during the brief Dutch restoration; authority ended with the Treaty of Westminster. |
British Era: Governors of New York (1664โ1673; 1674โ1783)
Following the English takeover, the territory was organized as the Province of New York. Governors were appointed by the Crown, overseeing administration, law, and defense, with a brief interruption during the Dominion of New England.
# | Governor | Took Office | Left Office | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Richard Nicolls | 1664 | 1668 | Served as military governor following the English conquest. |
2 | Francis Lovelace | 1668 | 1673 | Continued English administration. |
3 | Anthony Colve (Dutch Governor) | 1673 | 1674 | Governed during the brief Dutch rule as "New Orange". |
4 | Edmund Andros | 1674 | 1683 | Initial governor after the final English restoration. |
5 | Anthony Brockholls | 1681 | 1683 | Commander-in-Chief and acting governor. |
6 | Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick | 1683 | 1688 | Established the first representative assembly. |
7 | Francis Nicholson | 1688 | 1691 | Served under the Dominion of New England; de facto rule until 1689. |
8 | Jacob Leisler | 1688 | 1691 | Led a rebellion against the Dominion's authority. |
9 | Henry Sloughter | 1691 | 1691 | Appointed governor, but died shortly after arrival. |
10 | Richard Ingoldesby | 1691 | 1692 | Military officer serving as acting governor. |
11 | Benjamin Fletcher | 1692 | 1697 | Governed during a period of piracy suppression efforts. |
12 | Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont | 1698 | 1701 | Died in office; focused on combating piracy and corruption. |
13 | John Nanfan | 1701 | 1702 | Acting governor following Bellomont's death. |
14 | Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon | 1702 | 1708 | First governor to also govern New Jersey. |
15 | John Lovelace, 4th Baron Lovelace | 1708 | 1709 | Died in office. |
16 | Pieter Schuyler | 1709 | 1709 | Acting governor. |
17 | Richard Ingoldesby | 1709 | 1710 | Acting governor for a second time. |
18 | Gerardus Beekman | 1710 | 1710 | Acting governor. |
19 | Robert Hunter | 1710 | 1719 | Known for efforts against piracy and promoting settlement. |
20 | Pieter Schuyler | 1719 | 1720 | Acting governor. |
21 | William Burnet | 1720 | 1728 | Focused on border defense and trade regulation. |
22 | John Montgomerie | 1728 | 1731 | Died in office. |
23 | Rip Van Dam | 1731 | 1732 | Acting governor. |
24 | William Cosby | 1732 | 1736 | His administration was marked by significant political conflict. |
25 | George Clarke | 1736 | 1743 | Acting governor during a period of political tension. |
26 | George Clinton | 1743 | 1753 | Longest-serving royal governor; oversaw French and Indian War preparations. |
27 | Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Baronet | 1753 | 1753 | Died by suicide shortly after arrival. |
28 | James De Lancey | 1753 | 1755 | Acting governor. |
29 | Charles Hardy | 1755 | 1758 | Naval officer who served as governor. |
30 | James De Lancey | 1758 | 1760 | Acting governor for a second term. |
31 | Cadwallader Colden | 1760 | 1762 | Acting governor; influential figure in colonial administration. |
32 | Robert Monckton | 1762 | 1763 | British military commander before becoming governor. |
33 | Cadwallader Colden | 1763 | 1765 | Acting governor. |
34 | Sir Henry Moore, 1st Baronet | 1665 | 1769 | Governed during a period of increasing colonial unrest. |
35 | Cadwallader Colden | 1769 | 1770 | Acting governor. |
36 | John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore | 1770 | 1771 | Later served as Governor of Virginia. |
37 | William Tryon | 1771 | 1774 | Governor during the lead-up to the Revolution. |
38 | Cadwallader Colden | 1774 | 1775 | Acting governor. |
39 | William Tryon | 1775 | 1780 | Continued as governor during the Revolutionary War, though often absent. |
40 | James Robertson | 1780 | 1783 | Military governor during the latter part of the war. |
41 | Andrew Elliot | 1783 | 1783 | Military governor at the end of British rule. |
Historical Context
Administrative Evolution
The transition from Dutch to English rule marked a significant shift in governance. The English governors inherited and adapted existing administrative structures, while also introducing new legal and political frameworks, including the establishment of a representative assembly under Thomas Dongan.
Conflict and Diplomacy
Colonial governors navigated complex relationships with indigenous tribes, other European powers (particularly France), and internal political factions. Events like Kieft's War, the Peach War, and the French and Indian War profoundly shaped the colony's trajectory and the governors' responsibilities.
Shaping a Colony
The leadership during these periods laid the groundwork for the future state of New York. Figures like Peter Stuyvesant, Thomas Dongan, and George Clinton played pivotal roles in shaping the colony's administration, economy, and social fabric, influencing its path towards eventual statehood.
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References
References
- Jacobs, Jaap. New Netherland: A Dutch Colony In Seventeenth-Century America. (Leiden: Brill, 2005), 35.
- van der Sijs, Nicoline. Cookies, Coleslaw and Stoops: The Influence of Dutch on the North American Languages. (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2009), 21.
- Dolin, Eric Jay. Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011) passim.
- World Digital Library. Articles about the Transfer of New Netherland on the 27th of August, Old Style, Anno 1664. Retrieved 21 March 2013
- Farnham, Mary Frances (compiler). "Farnham Papers (1603รขยย1688)" in Volumes 7 and 8 of Documentary History of the State of Maine. (Portland, Maine: Collections of the Maine Historical Society, 2nd Series. 1901รขยย1902), 7:311รขยย314.
- Parry, Clive (editor). Consolidated Treaty Series 231 Volumes. (Dobbs Ferry, New York: Oceana Publications, 1969รขยย1981), 10:231.
- Burrows, Edwin G., and Wallace, Mike. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), xivff.
- Merwick, Donna. The Shame and the Sorrow: Dutch-Amerindian Encounters in New Netherland Early American Series. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006).
- Shorto, Russell. The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America. (New York City: Vintage Books, 2004).
- Barrevald, Dirk J. From New Amsterdam to New York: The Founding of New York by the Dutch in July 1625. (Lincoln, Nebraska: Writers Club Press, 2001), 248.
- Prak, Maarten. The Dutch Republic in the Seventeenth Century: The Golden Age. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 116.
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