Whether searching for information on Colonial America, historical New York, or genealogical data, many sources are available in the collection at Bucknell University.

Historical Background:

The settlement of New Amsterdam followed the explorations of Henry Hudson for the Dutch (approx. 100 years after Cabot explored the coast from Nova Scotia to Virginia for the British), and the subsequent purchase by Peter Minuit of Manhattan Island in 1626.

Owned and run by the West India Company, the young colony was protected by paid soldiers. The company also paid farmers and tradesmen to come work in and for the colony. The Dutch, being most interested in making a return on their monetary investments, supported religious freedom as well as open trade. By 1630, the population numbered about 270. Of these, only about half were Dutch, since settlers from among the Belgian (Walloons) and French Huguenots, as well as English, were welcomed.

Useful Terms: New Amsterdam, New Netherland (esp. for Internet), New York (N.Y.), New York (State), Long Island, Colonies, Colonial Period, Colonial America, 17th Century

*An important note about dates during the Dutch colonial period: it is common to see dates listed as March 11/21, 1712, for example. This is due to the Dutch adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, the date it was enacted by Pope Gregory XIII. This act added days to the calendar to correct for centuries of "drift" and to realign the vernal equinox with the 25th day of March, in addition to making 1 January the official first day of the year. The British, meanwhile, continued to follow the Julian calendar until 1752, noting March 25 as the first day of each year. After September 2 of that year, the split notation of dates ceased to be necessary.

Useful sources in the Bertrand collection:

Guides & Handbooks:

United States history: a selective guide to information sources / Ron Blazek and Anna H. Perrault. E178.B57x 1994 REF

Colonial America to 1763 / Thomas L. Purvis. E188.P86 1999. This work, part of the Facts on File series of Almanacs of American Life, is a true almanac of the colonies, with chapter on population, economy, architecture, etc., it even includes a chronology of the discovery through colonial period.

Bibliographies:

Dictionary Catalog of the History of the Americas / New York Public Library, Reference Dept. Z1201.N53.

American Diaries: an annotated bibliography of published American diaries and journals / Laura Arksey, Nancy Pries, and Marcia Reed. CT214.A74 1983 REF. Volume 1 covers the years 1492-1844, Volume 2 covers 1845-1980. Many works listed from time period.

Indexes:

America: History & Life / Online.

Historical Abstracts / Online. Although Historical Abstracts concentrates on works excluding the U.S. and Canada, many historical documents about the colonies can be found in the foreign literature (especially relevant are Dutch works).

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries:

Dictionary of American history / E174.D52 1976 REF

American Heritage encyclopedia of American history / John Mack Faragher, ed. E174.A535 1998 REF.

Encyclopedia of American history / Richard B. Morris and Jeffrey B. Morris, ed. E174.5

-The above are all good for general background, with some essays on specific incidents, i.e. Lesher's rebellion.

Encyclopedia of New York City / Kenneth T. Jackson, ed. F128.3.E75 1995 REF. More in-depth coverage of incidents and areas of the settlement of Manhattan Island and surrounding communities.

Archives, Manuscripts, and Oral History:

Guide to manuscript, archival, and oral history collections relating to United States history and literature available in the Microforms Section of the Pennsylvania State University Library / Jack Pontius

-You may also wish to contact The Holland Society of New York, 122 East 58th Street, New York, NY, 10022 (212)758-1675 Open F 11-4 except in August or on holidays, this society collects genealogical and historical source material relating to Dutch in America. They also accept manuscripts of scholarly studies and local histories concerning Dutch colonization in New York and New Jersey. (From Directory of Archive and Manuscript Repositories in the United States)

Chronologies:

Encyclopedia of American facts and dates / Gorton Carruth. E174.5.C3 1997 REF

Chronology of the expanding world, 1492 to 1762 / Neville Williams. D11.5.W48 REF

History of New York City (microform): embracing an outline of events from 1609 to 1830, and a full account of its development from 1830 to 1884 / Benson J. Lossing. LAC (Library of American Culture) #16222.

This collection of early American publications on microform is a bountiful resource of important documents about 17th and 18th century life in Colonial and Revolutionary America. Located on Level 2, near microfilm reader/printers.

Atlases:

Atlas of American History / G1201.S1A8 1984 Map Collection

Atlas of American History / Kenneth T. Jackson and James Truslow Adams, ed. G1201.S1J3 1978 Map Collection

American Heritage pictorial atlas of United States history / G1201.S1A5

Historical atlas of New York City: a visual celebration of nearly 400 years of New York City's history / Eric Homberger, with Alice Hudson. F128.3.H65 1994.

Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909 (microform) / Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes. LAC #22906-11 (see note under Chronologies)

General Histories;

Holland on the Hudson: an economic and social history of Dutch New York / Oliver A. Rink. F122.1.R56 1986

History of New Netherland, or, New York under the Dutch (microform) / E. B. O'Callaghan. LAC #20736-37 (see note under Chronologies)

The story of New Amsterdam / William R. Shepherd. F128.4.S54 1926

Before the melting pot: society and culture in colonial New York City, 1664-1730 / Joyce D. Goodfriend. F122.G643 1991

Primary Sources:

Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 / J. Franklin Jameson. E122.1.J31. This work contains transcripts, diaries and journal entries, as well as public records and travel narratives.

Minutes of the Common Council of the city of New York, 1675-1776 (microform) / New York (N.Y.) Common Council. LAC #20449-53 (see note under Chronologies)

Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 anno Domini (microform) / New York (N.Y.) Burgomasters and Schepens. LAC #21878-81 (see note under Chronologies)

Biographical Dictionaries:

Note: Although the Colonial period is generally not overly represented in the biographical sources, some individuals are included.

National cyclopedia of American biography / E176.N27 REF This multi-volume set has perhaps the most comprehensive coverage of individuals from the colonial period

Dictionary of world biography / Frank N. Magill and Christina J. Moose, ed. CT104.D54 1998 REF. Volume 4 of this set is dedicated to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notable American women, 1607-1950; a biographical dictionary / Edward T. James, Wilson James, and Paul S. Boyer, ed. CT3260.N57 REF. This 3 volume set includes many notable women of the period. Indexing covers occupations and timeperiods - very helpful resource.

Special Topics:

Pre-revolutionary Dutch houses and families in northern New Jersey and southern New York / Rosalie Fellows Bailey, with introduction by Franklin D. Roosevelt. NA7235.N7H62. Many photographs and histories of both houses and families living there.

Rumor of revolt: the "Great Negro Plot" in colonial New York / Thomas J. Davis. F128.4.D265 1985.

New York merchant on the eve of the revolution / Virginia Draper Harrington. HF3163.N7H3.

New Amsterdam and its people; studies, social and topographical, of the town under Dutch and early English rule / J. H. Innes. F128.4.I58.

Pirates, privateers, and profits / James G. Lydon. F128.4.L93.

Internet Resources

The New Netherland Project - sponsored by the NY State Library; project to transcribe original documents relating to the Dutch colony.

A Brief Outline of the History of New Netherland - part of a colonial currency exhibit, this site is devoted to the history of the Dutch colony and its trade.

New Netherland Museum - the museum maintains a reproduction of the vessel the Half Moon, the ship Henry Hudson sailed to the New World.