Holland on the Hudson: An Economic and Social History of Dutch New York [Paperback]

Oliver A. Rink (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1989

Holland on the Hudson traces the history of New Netherland from Henry Hudson's exploration of the region in 1609 to the surrender of the Dutch colony to an English fleet in 1664. Oliver A. Rink's approach is both narrative an analytic as he describes in detail the colony's commercial origins, its social and economic development, and the colonists' rivalry with the English in the New World.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Historians of New Netherland (1609-64) have traditionally focused on the failures of the Dutch West India Company. Rink's study, however, presents a colony which, on the eve of English conquest was thriving. He contends that private Amsterdam merchants played a larger role in the colony's development than has hitherto been recognized; they successfully circumvented the company, which was an "enfeebled giant" from the start. In the process, Rink casts new light on trade and commerce, immigration, demography, patroonships, Anglo-Dutch rivalry, and slavery. This is a major new interpretation, frankly "imperial and Dutch" in perspective, buttressed by research in previously neglected sources. Highly recommended for academic libraries. Roy H. Tryon, Delaware State Archives, Dover
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Oliver A. Rink is Professor of Early American History at California State University, Bakersfield.

Product Details

• Paperback: 285 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr (February 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801495857
• ISBN-13: 978-0801495854
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent social history of New Netherland..., May 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Holland on the Hudson: An Economic and Social History of Dutch New York (Hardcover)

In a field crowded with conventional history, Rink breaksthrough with an excellent social history of New Netherland.Not another collection of dates and wars, Rink weaves statistical analysis and outstanding storytelling skills tomake sense of the Dutch colonization of the Hudson RiverValley

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, easy to read book on the history of New Netherland., March 6, 2005

By 

Michael Scosyrev (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Holland on the Hudson: An Economic and Social History of Dutch New York (Paperback)

This book is very easy to read, almost like a novel, yet, it contains highly detailed description of events that take place in 1602-1673.
Book contains several maps, graphs, and charts to visually aid the reader.
The major themes of the book are:
- The West India Company
- Territorial Commitment Establishment, 1623-1628
- Anglo-Dutch Rivalry and Abandonment of the Company Monopoly
- The People of New Netherland
- New Netherland and the Amsterdam Merchants
- Triumphs and Tragedies: New Netherland's Last Years.

This is an excellent source of information for someone who wants to learn more about Dutch colonization of North America in the seventeenth century.