Dutch Profile

Dutch Monarchy
Founded: 1544 AD

While not a monarchy in the traditional sense, the House of Orange-Nassau played an invaluable role in the history of the Netherlands. The first member of the House of Orange to earn great renown was William of Orange, known colloquially as "William the Silent." His political and military savvy helped to loosen the Spanish hold on the provinces of the Netherlands for the first time in almost a century. He eventually earned the position of Stadtholder, effectively placing the fate of the Netherlands in his hands. William would struggle valiantly, securing numerous concessions for his nation, before being assassinated in 1584.

The battle for Dutch independence continued after William's death - as did control of the position of Stadtholder by the House of Orange. Finally, in 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia granted the Netherlands complete self-rule. With the passing of William II of Orange - grandson of William the Silent - not two years after the passage of the treaty, and the successor to the Stadtholdership - William III - nothing more than a babe, the position was left vacant.

During this "Stadtholderless" period, the Netherlands became one of the most powerful commercial bodies in the world, creating an economy that rivaled that of Spain or Portugal. In 1672, England and France, tired of the Dutch meddling in international commerce, declared war on the Netherlands. William III, having already taken up his family's rightful position, led the Netherlands to war and was more successful than any could have expected. Not only did William defend his nation from the two of the most powerful countries in the world, but he took the throne of England as a trophy. In 1689, William III of Orange became King of England as well as the leader of the Netherlands.

Following William III, the power of the Netherlands began to wane. Yet even in its diminishing global strength, the House of Orange remained among the most important in the Netherlands. When, in 1815, fear of Napoleon was running rampant across Europe, the Prince of Orange at the time, William Frederick, declared himself King of the Netherlands, becoming the nation's first actual monarch. The Dutch monarchy remains to this day, although its powers have always been considerably more limited than those of more absolute monarchies.

Adriaen van der Donck
Counsel of the New Netherlands
Lived: c. 1618 – 1655
Traits: Mercantile (market prices are less sensitive), Charismatic (+100-percent time between tax increases)

Adriaen van der Donck was a lawyer and bureaucrat, who became one of New Netherland's most ardent proponents of a participatory government.

Trained as a lawyer in Holland, van der Donck made the journey to the New World in 1641. There van der Donck found employment in the service of a wealthy landowner, serving as sheriff, counsel and tax collector. His duties held little interest for the young lawyer, however, and van der Donck spent much of his time visiting the local natives, learning the lay of the land and taking in-depth notes about local flora and fauna. This extracurricular activity would prove to be extremely beneficial: when Indian raids threatened the estate of van der Donck's master, van der Donck helped negotiate a treaty between his employer and his native acquaintances.

Upon the death of his employer, van der Donck took up residence for a time in the city of New Amsterdam, finding employment as attorney to the various powers of the colony. He soon began to involve himself in the pursuit of self government for the colony, growing to become one of the colony's most respected citizens. The money he earned performing various legal duties allowed him to buy an enormous estate up the Hudson River. So vast was his estate that he acquired the nickname of "Jongheer" or "Young Gentleman." This name stuck, and the land on which van der Donck's estate was built eventually became Yonkers, New York.

It was about this time that an autocratic new governor named Peter Stuyvesant was selected to lead New Amsterdam. Van der Donck, along with several other members of the colony, disgusted by Stuyvesant's iron-fisted methods, demanded that the Dutch citizenry be given a measure of input into the decision-making of the colony. The result was the Board of Nine, a group of nine of the most prominent members of the community who were to advise the governor. In 1649, van der Donck was selected for membership on the board, but soon came into conflict with Stuyvesant and his less than enlightened method of rule.

After continually butting heads, Stuyvesant had van der Donck arrested and removed from the Board of Nine. After the remaining members of the Board of Nine negotiated his release, van der Donck set sail for the colonial headquarters across the sea in the Netherlands. There he convinced the colonial leadership that Stuyvesant was a menace and secured the promise that they would create a participatory government in New Amsterdam.

Unfortunately, events intervened and the new policies were never enacted. War with England forced the colonial leaders to restore Stuyvesant, a trained soldier, to power, and do away with their promised changes to the colonial government. With victory snatched from his grasp, van der Donck prepared to return home to his New World estate, but found that he was not allowed to leave Europe. There was fear that his presence could loosen the resolve of the Dutch citizenry in their battle against the English. (Ironically, Stuyvesant had already managed to destroy their resolve all by himself. So alienated had the people become from their iron-fisted governor that the colony fell into English hands without a shot being fired.) Van der Donck languished for months before being allowed to return to the land that had become his home.

While waiting to return to the New World, van der Donck put to paper his many observations and discoveries about the New World and the natives. This work - "Descriptions of New Netherland" - was an instant hit in the Netherlands and became the first ethnographic study of the natives of the New World.

When he was finally allowed to return to his estate, van der Donck was not long able to enjoy it. Growing tension with the local Indian tribes led to a series of brutal raids that became known as the Peach Tree Wars. While it is unknown exactly when and where, it is generally believed that van der Donck's life was claimed in these raids.

Peter Stuyvesant
Final Governor of New Amsterdam
Lived: c. 1602 - 1672
Traits: Mercantile (market prices are less sensitive), Industrious (+25-percent Hammers in all Settlements)

Peter Stuyvesant first began his career as a soldier and administrator in the Caribbean, governing the Dutch island colony of Curacao. During his time in the Caribbean, Stuyvesant lost his right leg in a raid against a Spanish outpost and had it replaced with a wooden one. Yet his raw bravado made him popular among the Dutch West India Company's administration.

Not long after the loss of his leg, Stuyvesant was selected to become governor of the Dutch West India colony of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan. In 1647 he began his administration amid much fanfare. He soon established a new court system for the colony, new schools and began securing the under-defended colony against attacks from the natives. Stuyvesant is responsible for the current location of two of New Amsterdam's (which later became New York City) most famous boulevards - Broadway and Wall Street (which in Stuyvesant's time was an actual wall).

The colonists soon discovered, however, that there was only one way things could be done under Stuyvesant's governorship - his way. Stuyvesant reserved the right to decide any court case he liked, overruling the judiciary as he chose. Such a case arose when two prominent members of the New Amsterdam society spoke out against the previous governor. Although at best a minor infraction, Stuyvesant had the two men severally punished and by so doing he lost much favor with the colonists. Later autocratic proclamations such as taxes on "sins" like beer and wine and the burning of homes outside of his carefully-planned defenses continued to increase the dislike of the citizens for their new governor.

Increasing his difficulties, Stuyvesant and his administration were plagued by the English colonies that surrounded New Amsterdam. Stuyvesant struck several deals with the English colonists and even took aggressive maneuvers to halt the encroaching English by capturing the colony of New Sweden, but it was not enough. In 1664, the English sailed four hundred men into the colony's harbor, demanding New Amsterdam's surrender. Stuyvesant attempted to rally his citizens to fight back, but no defense was mounted. So reasonable were the English claims - they guaranteed freedom of worship and an acceptable level of self-determination - and so great the alienation between the people and Stuyvesant that the Dutch citizens gladly welcomed English rule.