In 1609, British explorer Henry Hudson, in the service of the Dutch East India Company, discovered the island of Manhattan. Shortly after leaving the area, he was captured by the English and accused of treason. Four years later, the Dutch Company returned to the area, this time with five ships that sailed up the Hudson River and conducted various business deals with the Native Americans. Years later, in 1621, the Dutch West India Company was founded with the aim of permanently colonizing the area. For this reason, two defensive fortresses with trading posts were built: one in Manhattan and another 240 kilometers upriver on the Hudson River.
The birth of New Holland
Thus, in 1624, the province of New Holland was born, with New Amsterdam as its capital. Official history maintains that the island was purchased from the Canarsie Native Americans, of the Lenape tribe, in exchange for items worth 60 duits, but the truth is that these indigenous people had no concept of private property, so it is likely that they did not really know what they were negotiating.