In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland’s canny director general.  Bristling with vibrant characters, Taking Manhattan reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire.

Taking Manhattan by Russell Shorto reimagines the founding of New York as a bold, unlikely fusion of Dutch enterprise and English ambition. Drawing from newly translated 17th-century records, Shorto brings to life the merchants, settlers, explorers, and diplomats who helped transform a small outpost into a thriving port city—laying the groundwork for modern New York.

More than just a tale of conquest or commerce, the book explores the early blend of cultures and ideas—Dutch, English, African, Indigenous, and Jewish—that defined New Amsterdam and shaped the American character. From religious refugees to early entrepreneurs, Shorto reveals a city built through negotiation, ingenuity, and global connection.

Shorto is the bestselling author of The Island at the Center of the World and directs the New Amsterdam Project at the New-York Historical Society. He lives in Maryland.

This event takes place on Zoom.