The Dutch in the New World Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mauritius River

The Dutch East India Company employed Englishman Henry Hudson to find a northeast passage to the Far East and India for them. After unsuccessfully searching for a route above Norway with his ship the "Halve Maen" ("Half Moon"), Hudson sailed west across the Atlantic and in 1609 he discovered what is now called the Hudson River. Hudson himself originally named it the Mauritius River in honour of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, who was leading the Dutch Republic's war against Spain. Hudson hoped to discover a "northwest passage" that would allow a ship to pass north of the American continent to the Pacific Ocean and from there to India.

He sailed as far as present-day Albany before the river became too shallow for his ship to continue northwards.

Answer: 1624

On 31 March 1624 the first Dutch emigrant ship, the "Nieuw Nederland" ("New Netherland") left The Netherlands carrying thirty families who were going to settle in the New World. The "Nieuw Nederland" landed at "Maeykans", meaning "Home of the Mohicans".

In June 1625, forty-five more colonists arrived on what is now Governors Island from three ships named "Horse", "Cow" and "Sheep" which also brought horses, steers, cows, pigs and sheep to the new colony.

Answer: Noten Eylant

In 1624 the first Dutch colonists, send by the Dutch East India Company, arrived on Noten Eylant, now Governors Island, in New Netherland. It was called Noten Eylant ("Island of Nuts") because of the numerous nut trees that grew on the island. The name was changed after the British took control over the colony and the island was used exclusively by the colony's royal governors.

Answer: Fort Nassau and Fort Orange

In 1614 the Dutch colonists built Fort Nassau as a fur trading post on what is now known as Castle Island in the Hudson River, near present-day Albany. The Dutch fur trade put them in competition for control of the fur trade with the French colony in Canada and the native tribes in the area.

As Fort Nassau had trouble with flooding, Fort Orange was built nearby on the banks of the Hudson River in 1624 and became the first Dutch settlement in New Netherland. Both forts were named in honour of the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau.

The area became the village of Beverwyck in 1652. When the English took control of New Netherland in 1664 the name was changed to Albany in honour of the Duke of York and Albany.

Answer: Nieuw Amsterdam

In 1625 the Dutch colonists built a fort on what is now Manhattan Island. Farmers were brought by ship from The Netherlands to supply food for the fort. It was named Fort Amsterdam after the capital of The Netherlands and the new town around it was named Nieuw Amsterdam. Its 1625 establishment is recognized as the birth date of New York City.

Answer: Peter Minuit

Peter Minuit was the Dutch colonial Director-General in New Netherland. In 1626 he purchased the island of Manhattan from the Lenape tribe. It was rumoured that he bought the island for 60 Guilders ($24) worth of "trinkets". The name Manhattan comes from the word "Manna-hata" in the Lenape language meaning "island of many hills".

Answer: Promised 'Liberties and Exemptions' to anyone who would ship fifty colonists there at his own expense

In 1629 the West India Company offered a scheme to attract more people to the new colony. Anyone who would ship fifty colonists to America at his own expense was promised 'Liberties and Exemptions'. Such a person, called a "patron", could then buy land along the Hudson River from the Company, excluding Manhattan Island, which was kept by the Company.

He also received complete jurisdiction over his land as well as extensive trade privileges except for the fur trade. These rights could then be passed on to his heirs.

This created a form of feudalism, which had almost been abolished in The Netherlands itself. The scheme failed, however, as very few patrons stayed. As soon as they had made enough money they returned to The Netherlands.

Answer: Peter Stuyvesant

In May of 1645 Peter Stuyvesant was sent by the Dutch West India Company to replace Willem Kieft as Director-General of "Nieuw Nederland". When war broke out between The Netherlands and England in 1664, King Charles II of England granted his brother, James, Duke of York, vast American territories that included all of "Nieuw Nederland". Four English ships bearing 450 men, commanded by Richard Nicolls, seized the Dutch colony.

As Stuyvesant did not have a fleet or an army to defend the colony, he was forced to surrender the colony without a struggle. Nicolls was declared the new governor and the city was renamed New York.

Answer: Wall Street

During the 17th century a strong stockade was built to protect the New Amsterdam settlement at its northern boundary where Wall Street is now. In 1653 a wall was built along it and it was strengthened over time. In 1685 Wall Street was laid out along this wall.

The name comes from the Walloon people who settled there from what is now Belgium but still part of The Netherlands at that time. The British tore down the wall in 1699.

Answer: Staten Island

Staten Island was originally named "Staaten Eylant", which means States Island. The "Staten-Generaal" (States-General) were delegates from the seven provincial States that formed the Republic of the Seven United Provinces that would become The Netherlands.

The Dutch West India Company was under its general supervision. The parliament of The Netherlands is still called the "Staten-Generaal" today.

Answer: The Pilgrims

The Pilgrims were a group of religious separatists at the beginning of the 17th century who fled from England to The Netherlands in 1608 to escape religious pursuit. With funds from English investors they wanted to establish a new colony in North America.

In 1620 the ship "Speedwell" sailed from Delfshaven in The Netherlands to Southampton in England with the first Pilgrims aboard. After experiencing several problems, including sabotage, they joined the Pilgrims on the ship "Mayflower" in which they crossed the Atlantic Ocean to North America where they settled the Plymouth Colony.

Answer: Coney Island

Coney Island was originally named Conyne Eylant ("Rabbit Island") by the Dutch settlers because there were so many rabbits there at the time.

Answer: Queens

Queens was named for Queen Catherine of Braganza (1638-1705), the wife of King Charles II of England (1630-1685). The Bronx was named after Jonas Bronck, a Dutch sea captain, born in Sweden, who was the first European settler between the Harlem River and the Bronx River. Brooklyn is named after the Dutch town Breukelen and Harlem after the Dutch city of Haarlem.

Answer: Block Island

Dutch explorer Adriaen Block was a Dutch trader and navigator who explored the coastal and river valley areas between present-day New Jersey and Massachusetts and was the first to chart what is now called Block Island in 1614.

Answer: None of these

Although the Amish and others speak what is (quite misleadlingly) known as "Pennsylvania Dutch" it is actually German ("Deutsch" in German) while Dutch is "Nederlands" in Dutch.