Customer Reviews

The Women of the House: How a Colonial She-Merchant Built a Mansion, a Fortune, and a Dynasty

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Early America, and indeed most of the world, was a man's world. Women couldn't own property, vote, etc. etc. Margaret Hardenbroeck must have stood out as a wolf among sheep. In 1659 she moved to New Amsterdam (Manhattan) -- young (22), single, a business factor or agent for her family's business, a 'she-merchant' or today what we could call an entrepreneur.

Our limited studies of the women of the time usually show them as individuals but reflected in the light of their husbands. Martha Washington, Abigail Adams were indeed strong women, but we would never have heard of them except for their husbands.

Margaret made her own life, hers was not a reflection of her husband. She made her own way. She was probably not a nice person. In the way we think of Martha Stewart, she was tough. And as a slave trader we need to remember her in the light of her time, not of ours.

Much of the book covers life in New Amsterdam at the time, with only supposition that this was how Margaret lived or what she did. There was limited material available on her personal life, much more on her business activities.

This book opens up a new aspect of life in Dutch America, and of the rights and lives of women in our history.

If the walls of the Philipse Manor Hall could talk, what stories would they tell? Zimmerman gives voice to the women who lived in the house, from humble beginnings to New York's high society.

Margaret (1659-1691) would become the richest woman in New York. She attended elementary school in Holland and would use her reading, writing and math skills to become a she merchant. She would own trade vessels, property in Manhattan, New Jersey, Albany and Barbados. Margaret would also have a family and raise five children. (She merchant was a term applied to females who were respected for their skills in commerce.)

Catherine (1652-1730) was an heiress who married Margaret's widowed husband, Frederick. She would build a church and was appointed the guardian of Frederick II, her step-grandson. Frederick II would inherit a large portion of Margaret and Frederick's estate.

Joanna (1700-1765?) married Frederick II. Due to the hard work and the business savvy of Margaret and Catherine, Joanna was able to be a society matron. I loved the description of the dessert buffet, complete with marzipan hedgehogs made by the hostess and her daughters.

Mary (1730-1825), Margaret's great granddaughter, was a beautiful socialite. She had a number of eligible bachelors after her hand in marriage, among them George Washington. Mary and her family lost most of the family fortune during the American Revolution.

The book also deals with the unethical practices of this time period: slavery and piracy. (However, in the 17th and 18th Century, many people did not think these practices were wrong.) Margaret and Frederick added to the family fortune through transporting and trafficking slaves from Africa. Frederick also did business with "the King of Pirates," trading in slaves, tobacco and rum. The Philipse family would continue to own slaves until the very end. They would also have a personal connection to a slave revolt.

Zimmerman makes the colonial period come alive with her storytelling and interesting trivia that ranges from hummingbirds to slave gangs. There are detailed notes for each chapter and sixteen pages of black and white pictures. It is unfortunate that the women in the Philipse family did not leave any journals or letters because it would have been interesting to read their own thoughts.

Armchair Interviews says: Travel back in time to meet the colorful inhabitants of Colonial New York.

I truly enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn't what I expected. I expected a real biography/history of Margaret Hardenbroeck and the women in her family who followed. Instead, the scant factual information about these women is set in a cultural and historical context that could apply to any (rich) women of that time and place. The author mostly imagines the lives of these women within a specific cultural framework.

The book is a welcome addition to the cultural history of women in colonial Dutch New York, and I was fascinated by the wealth of information provided. The contrast shown between Dutch and English mores and laws, for example, as they pertain to women, is thorougly presented.

I would like to have known more about the specific lives of the three main women in this book. Except for a few legal documents, these women left no records, such as letters, journals, etc. Thus, the culture and even details the author presents (for clothing styles and having a baby, for example), are GENERIC to the time and place, but not specific to these women. I wanted to know much more about Margaret Hardenbroeck. She doesn't seem like a real person to me because her views are unknown. What does she think about her business, her husbands, her children, the switch to English governance, her travels? We simply don't know.

Later generations are less accomplished than Margaret. It's true the culture changed and women had less opportunities, but I got the sense that these women and their families did little of note as time passed. They were simply very rich. Boring. They deserved what happened to them at the end of the American Revolution, in my opinion.

Picky comment: The details of the maps are unreadable to these eyes. A map showing clear street names, would have been a boon to this reader, and made the book easier to follow. I also would have enjoyed more detailed footnotes.

Final irony: Isn't it interesting that Margaret Hardenbroeck is referred to as Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse on the jacket cover? She used her own name, following Dutch custom, not her husband's for her entire life. Why couldn't the publishers respect that? Also, I'm insulted on Margaret's behalf that she is compared to Martha Stewart. UGH.

I read this book with real insterest since I love colonial history. I disagree with "Adri" amateur historian about the basis of this book. The writer portrays her main subject flaws and all. If you can't write about a woman with flaws you cannot write about anyone. Woman of the House showed how a fortune gained by profiteering not only in slaves but also in beaver pelts (not an "ethical" practice to some) came to be confiscated by the government. Margaret for all her dark sides is an incredible woman. I thank the writer for bringing her to my attention.

A fascinating account of several remarkable women who were lost in the mists of historical records, The Women of the House entertains its readers while still providing historical knowledge of the time period. Women were and will forever be crucial aspects of our society, yet they are constantly forgotten in history. This book allows us to look at the colonial lifestyles in a new way, in the perspective of a talented woman.

In 1659, one of the most remarkable women in history arrived at New Amsterdam, determined to establish her presence in the form of a she-merchant. Her name was Margaret Hardenbroeck, and she would be one of the first to defy societal norms and create a dynasty at Philipse Manor Hall. She arrived with a duty to serve as a representative for a trading business conducted by her cousin, a well-off merchant named Wouter Valck. Margaret had grown up in a middle-class family, and possessed particular skills in the art of business transactions. Arriving at Manhattan, she wasted no time and soon established herself as an important figure within the community. Within a couple months of settling, on October 10, 1659, Margaret wedded Pieter Rudolphus de Vries, who was six years older than her father. The couple hurried to the alter due to their coming baby, despite the Dutch Reformed Church's sinful outlook at premarital sex. By the time the hot sickness of 1661 killed Pieter, Margaret had become a young and financially secure woman. She then married Frederick Philipse, who would become her future business partner. Margaret bought three hundred acres of Westchester County in 1670 to create her storehouse, which would later be developed into the magnificent Philipse Manor Hall. After arranging the betrothals of all of her children, Margaret passed on peacefully in 1691, at age 54. Her property holdings spanned from Albany to the Barbados Islands, and she had become arguably the wealthiest woman in the area.

Margaret's death marked the beginnings of a new era for the rest of her family. Through the next two generations, her property and wealth would continue to expand, creating a rich legacy among the future owners of Philipse Manor Hall.

Zimmerman does a good job engaging her audience throughout the book. Although some parts would appear slow and insignificant, the book was overall very well written. One flaw of the book is its lack of historical basis. Because records containing information about these women have been lost or destroyed, it is nearly impossible to find first-hand accounts. Despite its lack of primary documents, the book appears to be complete in its description and rarely seems ambiguous or false.

The Women of the House traces the remarkable journey of Margaret and her successors. It provides excellent insight and creates a new perspective on life in Dutch America.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave interesting insights into how colonial New York was developed, mixing the lives of one family with the broader stage of changing governments and cultural values. Great book!

I bought this book when it was first released. Being a resident of the Hudson Valley, I was immediately interested in reading it. I'm glad I did! This is a really well written and interesting book. It takes you from the beginning of the Philipse empire all the way to the demise of it after the revolution, to what is left of it today. The author really tries to give you a feeling of what Margaret and her progeny were like, what they thought and so fourth. She describes everything richly and for New Yorkers, creates scenes with her words that we can easily go down the Hudson and look at or close our eyes and see. I highly recommend this book--it is interesting, informative, and a page turner.

While books such as this are all too few and far between, Women of the House falls short of its promise. Chock full of facts about colonial New York and the culture of the early Dutch settlers, the biographical aspect is often disjointed. Until Zimmerman actually gets to discussing her primary subject, there are assorted starts and stops of historical importance that often seem too flowery of a nonfiction genre. When the author finally gets to the meat of her book, she drifts back and forth leaving the reader confused as to the timeline of events. These women are all interesting people and readers should be glad to learn about them. However, if there is little familiarity with the physical layout of New York City, particularly lower Manhattan, and its relationship to its surrounding area, some of the dynamics of the history may be lost. This book may, however, hold particular interest to those with an interest in New York history, and travelers to the Hudson River Valley who have visited Philipsburg Manor, the family home of the women in this book.

Author Jean Zimmerman had passed by Philipse Manor Hall in downtown Yonkers many times and wondered who could have built the mansion: her investigation revealed it was the creation of a Dutch-born fur trader and ship merchant - a women named Margaret who set up her home in the then 'wilderness'. Thus evolved an investigation which has led to THE WOMEN OF THE HOUSE: HOW A COLONIAL SHE-MERCHANT BUILT A MANSION, A FORTUNE, AND DYNASTY. No women's history collection - no matter where it's located - should be without.

Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch

As a female entrepreneur this book is fascinating. The term she-merchant was new to me, and I learned a great deal about the Dutch view on women merchants, and consequently how the English took a very different approach. I recommend this book to any lady in business.