1626day.year
Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland (present day Manhattan Island) aboard the See Meeuw.
Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland aboard the See Meeuw in 1626, embarking on the development of Manhattan Island.
On May 4, 1626, Dutch colonial director Peter Minuit landed at what is now Manhattan Island aboard the ship See Meeuw. Tasked with overseeing the fledgling New Netherland colony, Minuit negotiated with local Lenape leaders to secure land for a settlement. His administration established Fort Amsterdam and laid the foundations for the trading post that would become New Amsterdam. Under his leadership, the colony saw the introduction of Dutch civic institutions and trade networks. Minuit’s reputed purchase of Manhattan for goods valued at 60 guilders became a legendary moment in American folklore. This arrival marked a key step in European colonization of the region that would evolve into modern New York City.
1626
Peter Minuit
New Netherland
Manhattan Island