A Short History of the United States Part 6

[Sidenote: The Dutch West India Company, 1621. _Higginson_, 90-96; _Explorers_, 303-307; _Source-book_, 42-44.]

[Sidenote: The patroons, 1628.]

60. The Founding of New Netherland.--In 1621 the Dutch West India Company was founded. Its first object was trade, but it also was directed "to advance the peopling" of the American lands claimed by the Dutch. Colonists now came over; they settled at New Amsterdam, on the southern end of Manhattan Island, and also on the western end of Long Island. By 1628 there were four hundred colonists in New Netherland. But the colony did not grow rapidly, so the Company tried to interest rich men in the scheme of colonization, by giving them large tracts of land and large powers of government. These great land owners were called patroons. Most of them were not very successful. Indeed, the whole plan was given up before long, and land was given to any one who would come out and settle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE DUTCH COLONY OF NEW AMSTERDAM.]

[Sidenote: Governor Kieft.]

[Sidenote: Kieft orders the Indians to be killed.]

[Sidenote: Results of the ma.s.sacre.]

61. Kieft and the Indians, 1643-44.--The worst of the early Dutch governors was William Kieft (Keeft). He was a bankrupt and a thief, who was sent to New Netherland in the hope that he would reform. At first he did well and put a stop to the smuggling and cheating which were common in the colony. Emigrants came over in large numbers, and everything seemed to be going on well when Kieft's brutality brought on an Indian war that nearly destroyed the colony. The Indians living near New Amsterdam sought shelter from the Iroquois on the mainland opposite Manhattan Island. Kieft thought it would be a grand thing to kill all these Indian neighbors while they were collected together. He sent a party of soldiers across the river and killed many of them. The result was a fierce war with all the neighboring tribes. The Dutch colonists were driven from their farms. Even New Amsterdam with its stockade was not safe. For the Indians sometimes came within the stockade and killed the people in the town. When there were less than two hundred people left in New Amsterdam, Kieft was recalled, and Peter Stuyvesant was sent as governor in his stead.

[Sidenote: Peter Stuyvesant. _Higginson_, 97.]

62. Stuyvesant's Rule.--Stuyvesant was a hot-tempered, energetic soldier who had lost a leg in the Company's service. He ruled New Netherland for a long time, from 1647 to 1664. And he ruled so sternly that the colonists were glad when the English came and conquered them.

This unpopularity was not entirely Stuyvesant's fault. The Dutch West India Company was a failure. It had no money to spend for the defence of the colonists, and Stuyvesant was obliged to lay heavy taxes on the people.

[Sidenote: The Swedes on the Delaware. _Higginson_, 106-108.]

[Sidenote: Stuyvesant conquers them.]

63. New Sweden.--When the French, the English, and the Dutch were founding colonies in America, the Swedes also thought that they might as well have a colony there too. They had no claim to any land in America.

But Swedish armies were fighting the Dutchmen's battles in Europe. So the Swedes sent out a colony to settle on lands claimed by the Dutch.

As long as the European war went on, the Swedes were not interfered with. But when the European war came to an end, Stuyvesant was told to conquer them. This he did without much trouble, as he had about as many soldiers as there were Swedish colonists. In this way New Sweden became a part of New Netherland.

[Sidenote: Summary.]

[Sidenote: The Chesapeake Colonies.]

[Sidenote: The New England Colonies.]

64. Summary.--We have seen how the French, the Dutch, the Swedish, and the English colonies were established on the Atlantic seash.o.r.e and in the St. Lawrence valley. South of these settlements there was the earlier Spanish colony at St. Augustine. The Spanish colonists were very few in number, but they gave Spain a claim to Florida. The Swedish colony had been absorbed by the stronger Dutch colony. We have also seen how very unlike were the two English groups of colonies. They were both settled by Englishmen, but there the likeness stops. For Virginia and Maryland were slave colonies. They produced large crops of tobacco. The New England colonists on the other hand were practically all free. They lived in towns and engaged in all kinds of industries. In the next hundred years we shall see how the English conquered first the Dutch and then the French; how they planted colonies far to the south of Virginia and in these ways occupied the whole coast north of Florida.

QUESTIONS AND TOPICS

CHAPTER 4

---- 26, 27.--_a_. Mark on a map all the places mentioned in these sections.

_b_. Describe Champlain's attacks on the Iroquois.

---- 28-30.--_a_. Compare the reasons for the coming of the French and the Spaniards.

_b_. What work did the Jesuits do for the Indians?

_c_. Explain carefully why the hostility of the Iroquois to the French was so important.

CHAPTER 5

---- 31, 32.--_a_. Give two reasons for the revival of English colonial enterprises.

_b_. Describe the voyage and early experiences of the Virginia colonists.

_c_. Give three reasons for the sufferings of the Virginia colonists.

---- 33-35.--_a_. What do you think of Sir Thomas Dale?

_b_. To what was the prosperity of Virginia due? Why?

_c_. What cla.s.ses of people were there in Virginia?

---- 36-38.--_a_. What is the meaning of the word "Puritan" (see -- 43)?

Why is Sir Edwin Sandys regarded as the founder of free government in the English colonies?

_b_. Describe the laws of Virginia as to Roman Catholics and Puritans.

---- 39-41.--_a_. Describe Lord Baltimore's treatment of his settlers.

What do you think of the wisdom of his actions?

_b_. How were Roman Catholics treated in England?

_c_. What is meant by toleration? Who would be excluded by the Maryland Toleration Act?

_d_. Describe the likenesses and the differences between Virginia and Maryland.

CHAPTER 6

---- 42-47.--_a_. Describe the voyage of the _Mayflower_.

_b_. What was the object of the Mayflower Compact?

_c_. Describe the Pilgrims' search for a place of settlement.

_d_. Read Bradford's account of the first winter at Plymouth.

_e_. What did Squanto do for the Pilgrims?

---- 48-50.--_a_. What advantages did the founders of Ma.s.sachusetts have over those of New Plymouth?

_b_. Look up the history of England, 1630-40, and say why so many colonists came to New England in those years.