Dutch Manhattan - The One-Legged Soldier | 5

American History Tellers

Wondery

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, History, Education For Kids

4.7 • 18.3K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2019

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Peter Stuyvesant was fresh from losing a leg in battle against the Spanish when he arrived in Manhattan in 1647. He was a tough soldier who was ready to take charge of the unruly population of New Amsterdam. He soon clashed with Adrian Van der Donck, the leader of the opposition, who was secretly crafting a formal legal complaint that would compel the Dutch government to give the colony a form of representative government. When Stuyvesant discovered that Van der Donck had been spearheading an effort to overthrow his rule, he had him arrested for treason.

But after a public faceoff revealed the Dutch government had come down on the side of colonists, Van der Donck was released. He returned to Europe and traveled to The Hague, where he argued that the Dutch government should take over the colony from the West India Company. At first, the Dutch government supported Van der Donck’s cause. It granted New Amsterdam a charter, giving the colony official status as a Dutch city, and ordered Stuyvesant's recall. But then order was abruptly rescinded. Oliver Cromwell’s English government was declaring war on the Dutch republic.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to American History Tellers add free on Amazon Music,
0:05.6	download the app today.
0:09.0	Imagine its March 1644.
0:21.3	You're a military officer in the higher the Dutch West India Company, hiking along the beach
0:25.7	on the Caribbean island of St. Martin.
0:28.7	The punishing heat and humidity of the tropics are weighing on you and your fellow soldiers,
0:33.2	making every step heavier than the last.
0:36.0	Still, you catch up to your commander.
0:38.2	Sir, the fort should be just around this bend.
0:40.8	Alright?
0:41.8	Now we know the Spaniards have largely abandoned it, but beyond guard just in case.
0:46.8	And within a few steps, the fort you are supposed to attack comes into view.
0:51.9	Suddenly a great thundering blast signals the start of a barrage from the fort's guns.
0:56.8	You hear shrieks as some of the men around you are hit.
0:59.6	Sir, rally the men into formation.
1:02.0	Clearly we were given bad information.
1:04.0	Into formation, formation.
1:06.6	The assault gets worse.
1:08.2	Cannibals rain down, getting the sand with terrible reverberating thud.
1:12.8	Bullets zing past your ear.
1:14.6	You are all completely exposed.
1:16.8	You shout orders to the men under you to pull back preparing for the expected signal for a formal retreat.
	...

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