Peter Minuit Trading
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Peter Minuit Trading
Peter Minuit, of the Dutch West India Company and first Dutch governor of New Amsterdam, purchases Manhattan for trinkets, estimated value $24
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Media ID 571264
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10003194
1626 Amsterdam Estimated Governor Manhattan Minuit Purchases Trading Trinkets
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the historic moment when Peter Minuit, a Dutch merchant representing the Dutch West India Company, completed the purchase of Manhattan Island from local Lenape Native American leaders in 1626. The exchange took place near the present-day site of Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan. Minuit, dressed in the finery of a Dutch official, stands confidently before the Lenape chieftains, who are depicted in traditional garb and holding various items, believed to be trinkets or beads. The estimated value of the land transaction was a mere $24, an insignificant sum in comparison to the immense cultural and historical significance of the event. The Dutch West India Company, established in 1621, aimed to explore, colonize, and exploit the natural resources of the Americas. New Amsterdam, as Manhattan was renamed, would become an important trading hub and a thriving Dutch settlement. This photograph, taken from a historical archive, offers a glimpse into the past, transporting us back to a time when the course of American history was forever changed by the encounter between European explorers and the indigenous peoples. The image serves as a poignant reminder of the complex and often fraught relationships between European settlers and Native American communities in the early days of the New World. It also underscores the importance of preserving historical records and artifacts, which help us to better understand the rich and complex history of our world.
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