Beverwijck: A Dutch Village on the American Frontier, 1652-1664

by Janny Venema

Winner of the 2004 Annual Archives Award for Excellence in Research Using the Holdings of the New York State Archives presented by the Board of Regents and the New State York Archives

Beverwijck explores the rich history and Dutch heritage of one of North America's oldest cities--Albany, New York. Drawing on documents translated from the colonial Dutch as well as maps, architectural drawings, and English-language sources, Janny Venema paints a lively picture of everyday life in colonial America.

In 1652, Petrus Stuyvesant, director general of New Netherland, established a court at Fort Orange, on the west side of New York State's upper Hudson River. The area within three thousand feet of the fort became the village of Beverwijck. From the time of its establishment until 1664, when the English conquered New Netherland and changed the name of the settlement to Albany, Beverwijck underwent rapid development as newly wealthy traders, craftsmen, and other workers built houses, roads, bridges, and a school, as well as a number of inns. A well-organized system of poor relief also helped less wealthy settlers survive in the harsh colonial conditions. Venema's careful research shows that although Beverwijck resembled villages in the Dutch Republic in many ways, it quickly took on features of the new, "American" society that was already coming into being.

Genres: History

528 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had wanted to read this book for awhile, but I was always daunted by its voluminous size (500+ pages) and small print. I finally decided to give it a try. It is not an easy read by any means: it is loaded with detail and sometimes difficult to follow. Unlike Russell Shorto's wonderful book about the Dutch origins of Manhattan (The Island at the Center of the World), this book reads more like a thesis. That said, however, I learned a lot about the people and culture of Beverwijck. Janny Venema is clearly an expert on the New Netherland colony, and the book reflects years of research and translation of archival records. In that sense, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of Albany's Dutch origins.

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't a cover to cover book. This is a book chock full of details on the lives and activities of the early settlers of New Amsterdam. If you have ancestors who were there in the years covered, you can find tons of details about their work, their troubles with the law and their charity in this well-researched, heaavily documented work.

[Jody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of excellent detail. Superb source for genealogy pertaining to early-America in New York. A bit dry in places. Keep in mind this was originally a Ph.D. dissertation.

[Nydia “Cookie” · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and interesting historical tidbits about the first Dutch village in the Colonies. I read this for additional information on a genealogy I am researching.

[JFN · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an adaptation from a doctoral dissertation, so it's not really a cover-to-cover read. It's dense and could have stood some more editing that would have streamlined it. That said, if you're interested in the history of Albany, New York -- one of the nation's oldest, continuously occupied European settlements -- it's essential to own this book as a reference. It's also not just for Albany-lovers, but anyone interested in Dutch migration to and settlement of the Northeast and the Hudson valley. Dutch settlement made the area a very different place from New England or the Tidewater area. Great companion book to Russell Shorto's Island at the Center of the World and Amsterdam.