<Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> 1638 (aged 58) St. Christopher </Td> </Tr> <P> Peter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit or Peter Minnewit (between 1580 and 1585--August 5, 1638) was a Walloon from Wesel, in present - day North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany, then part of the Duchy of Cleves . His surname means "midnight" in French . He was Director of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1631, and founded the Swedish colony of New Sweden in 1638 . </P> <P> Minuit is generally credited with orchestrating the purchase of Manhattan Island for the Dutch from the Lenape Native Americans . Manhattan later became the site of the Dutch city of New Amsterdam, modern - day New York City . A common myth states that Minuit purchased Manhattan for $24 worth of trinkets; However, a letter written by Dutch merchant Peter Schaghen to directors of the Dutch East India Company stated that Manhattan was purchased "for the value of 60 guilders," an amount worth around $1,050 in 2015 dollars . Minuit also founded the Delaware colony in the early 1600s . </P> <P> Peter Minuit was born sometime between 1580 and 1585, into a Protestant family that had moved from the city of Tournai in the Southern Netherlands (presently part of Wallonia, Belgium, Tournai), to Wesel in Germany, in order to avoid Spanish Catholic colonials, who were not favorably disposed towards Protestants . </P>

Who purchased manhattan for 24.00 worth of trinkets and beads