Shared Cultural Heritage of the United States and the Netherlands

This publication presents an overview of the shared cultural heritage of the United States of America and the Netherlands from the seventeenth century until the present.

Shared history of the Netherlands and North America

Using the accidental discovery of Manhattan by Henry Hudson in 1609 as its starting point, this publication discusses the shared history of the Netherlands and North America. Five periods are distinguished:

  • New Netherland (1609-1674)
  • The Dutch during the British colonization of North America (1674-1776)
  • The American War of Independence and its aftermath (1776-1840)
  • Dutch emigration to the United States (1840-1940)
  • Second World War to present (1940-2016)

These five periods are used as a framework for discussing all aspects of shared heritage, such as shipwrecks, fortresses and manuscripts. The publication helps in charting the diversity of this shared heritage.

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Text: Wout van Zoelen
Editors: Jean-Paul Corten and Rob van Zoelen
Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, 2017