Chapter 2 classmate response
Seulgi Kim
Film Response Post
The most notable difference between the early history of Dutch New Amsterdam and that of English settlements such as Jamestown and the colonies of New England are the reason these settlements were founded. Jamestown was founded for many reasons, such as finding gold and silver, harvesting natural resources, finding passage to the Pacific Ocean, and to trade with Native Americans (Horn, 2005). Later on, they had the goals of manufacturing goods and converting the native Powhatans to Christianity (Horn, 2005). New English colonies expected some economic profit, but the main reason they were founded was religion (Burnett et al., 2018). Puritans sought to create a utopian “City on a Hill”, which would be an example for the English to follow (Burnett et al., 2018).
Meanwhile, New Amsterdam was founded for one simple reason: profit (Burns and Sanders, 1999). It was owned by the powerful Dutch West India Company, and money was to be made selling furs (Burns and Sanders, 1999). New Amsterdam would lack a church for seventeen years (Burns and Sanders, 1999), a fact that would likely startle the Puritans of New England or the settlers of Jamestown. In fact, when the town became more diverse under the rule of Peter Stuyvesant, he tried to petition the board of directors of the Dutch West India Company to turn away Jewish refugees, only to be rejected (Burns and Sanders, 1999). The directors reminded him New Amsterdam was a business colony, not a religious establishment (Burns and Sanders, 1999).
Another difference is that land for New Amsterdam, which would become Manhattan, was bought from the native tribes, who assumed the Dutch settlers would only be there temporarily (Burns and Sanders, 1999). New Amsterdam was essentially a real estate deal (Burns and Sanders, 1999). The people of Jamestown simply settled there and tried to keep peace with the Powhatans through trade (Horn, 2005). The Puritans were more easily able to keep peaceful relations to the native tribes that had been the survivors of European diseases (Burnett et al., 2018). Still, neither Jamestown nor the New English colonies had actually bought land from the native people as the Dutch did.
- explain why you agree or disagree with your fellow student.
- Provide useful or substantive commentary that might
- identify other examples that support their views?
- identify examples that challenge their views?
- pose follow up questions for further consideration.
- Demonstrate that you have watched the films, or read the textbook and the primary source.
- Be relevant to the original discussion prompt and appropriate to the discussion.
- Your response should be roughly 150 words and written in a clear and concise manner.
