Description
By John S. C. Abbott. Discover the dramatic story of the man who served as the last Dutch governor of New Amsterdam during one of the most important turning points in early American history.
In Peter Stuyvesant: The Last Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam, historian John S. C. Abbott recounts the life and career of Peter Stuyvesant, the determined and often controversial leader who ruled the Dutch colony of New Netherland during its final years before it passed into English hands and became New York.
Set in the seventeenth century, this engaging biography transports readers to the bustling colonial settlement of New Amsterdam at the mouth of the Hudson River. There, merchants, settlers, soldiers, and traders from many nations struggled to build a foothold in the New World. Abbott vividly describes Stuyvesant’s military background, strong-willed leadership, conflicts with colonists, and efforts to strengthen Dutch control in North America during a time of fierce rivalry between European powers.
The book also explores the dramatic events that led to the English seizure of New Amsterdam in 1664, an event that permanently changed the future of the American colonies. Through Abbott’s lively storytelling, readers gain insight into the political tensions, commercial rivalries, and daily life of early colonial America, as well as the personalities who shaped its development.
Written in a clear and accessible style, this classic volume combines biography with colonial history in a narrative that remains engaging for modern readers. More than the story of one governor, it is the story of the struggle for empire and influence in the early Atlantic world.
This carefully restored reprint revives a fascinating work of American historical literature for a new generation. Ideal for students, history enthusiasts, and readers interested in colonial America and the origins of New York, Peter Stuyvesant offers an absorbing portrait of a pivotal figure in early American history.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I: Discovery of the Hudson River
CHAPTER II: The Progress of Discovery
CHAPTER III: The Commencement of Colonization
CHAPTER IV: The Administration of Van Twiller
CHAPTER V: War and Its Devastations
CHAPTER VI: Governor Stuyvesant
CHAPTER VII: War between England and Holland
CHAPTER VIII: Another Indian War
CHAPTER IX: An Energetic Administration
CHAPTER X: The Esopus War
CHAPTER XI: The Disastrous Year
CHAPTER XII: Encroachments of the English
CHAPTER XIII: Hostile Measures Commenced
CHAPTER XIV: The Capture of New Amsterdam
CHAPTER XV: The Final Surrender
CHAPTER XVI: The Olden Time
John S. C. Abbott (1805–1877) was an American historian, pastor, and writer. He and his brother Jacob were among the most prolific popular historians of their era, producing dozens of works through New York City’s Abbott’s Institute of Historical Biographies. Although trained as a theologian, Abbott achieved such success as a writer that he devoted most of his life to historical and biographical works.
