<P> After some early trading expeditions, the first Dutch settlement in the Americas was founded in 1615: Fort Nassau, on Castle Island along the Hudson, near present - day Albany . The settlement served mostly as an outpost for trading in fur with the native Lenape tribespeople, but was later replaced by Fort Orange . Both forts were named in honor of the House of Orange - Nassau . </P> <P> By 1621, the United Provinces had charted a new company, a trading monopoly in the Americas and West Africa: the Dutch West India Company (Westindische Compagnie or WIC). The WIC sought recognition as founders of the New World--which they ultimately did as founders of a new Province in 1623, New Netherland . That year, another Fort Nassau was built on the Delaware River near Gloucester City, New Jersey . </P> <P> In 1624, the first colonists, mostly Walloons and their slaves - bound servants, arrived to New Netherland by the shipload, landing at Governors Island and initially dispensed to Fort Orange, Fort Wilhelmus and Kievets Hoek . In 1626, Director of the WIC Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the Lenape natives and started construction of Fort Amsterdam, which grew to become the main port and capital, New Amsterdam . The colony expanded to outlying areas at Pavonia, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Long Island . </P> <P> On the Connecticut River, Fort Huys de Goede Hoop was completed in 1633 at present day Hartford . By 1636, the English from Newtown (now Cambridge, Massachusetts) settled on the north side of the Little River . In the Treaty of Hartford, the border of New Netherland was retracted to western Connecticut and by 1653, the English had overtaken the Dutch trading post . </P>

The dutch republic and its north american colonies