The Governor

Social Studies 7 The Thirteen Colonies The Rise of Cities: New York City

The Governor: For years, New York City was in the hands of the Dutch. They had established a slow growing trading post on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. The Dutch had a problem with attracting people to the colony. It was not an enjoyable place to be. Then the Dutch West India Company appointed a man by the name of Peter Stuyvesant to take over the colony. Peter Stuyvesant can be considered a dictator. He made a law against alcohol and mandating religious practices on Sunday. He also tried to remove Jews and Quakers from the settlement. However, the people who lived in New Amsterdam, including the Asser Levy, the first kosher butcher in New York City, were able to put a halt onto his plans, keeping it a city of religious tolerance. Stuyvesant did do some good for the city. His actions resulted in the City Hall being built in 1652. The city government ordered all dirt roads to be covered in either wooden planks or stones. It also established a road that ran through Manhattan. Known as Beaver Path originally, the path became broadened, and took the name “Breede Wegh”, or Broad Way. However, Stuyvesant finally met his match when the British pulled up into the New Amsterdam Harbor and threatened to open fire. Peter wanted to fight, but his people refused, and the settlement was turned over to the British. Directions: With your group, go through the paragraphs and decide what are the three most important facts that are in this article. Write them on the lines below.