A Commitment to Innovative Learning

The NAHC is committed to providing resource tools for learning about New Amsterdam. One of the areas NAHC is developing are lesson plans that draw on the digital content NAHC is gathering in Mapping Early New York.

 

Additionally. we are sharing the following links that can be added to any educational plan.

Dutch Documents Collection at Mapping Early New York

Objects, Measures, and more!

Ship Journeys and stories of Shipwrecks

Curricula Downloads

Audio Tours of  New Amsterdam

AUDIO TOURS: These tours will guide you through key locations in Manhattan and the Hudson River Valley

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How Dutch Is New York: The New Amsterdam Tour
Audio Tours of 15 different areas of Manhattan Island with illustrations
Welcome to an audio tour of Lower Manhattan. Dutch Heritage World Tours will lead you through the streets of the area of New York City that in the 17th century was called New Amsterdam. New Amsterdam wasn’t the first Dutch trading post, but would eventually become the most important settlement of the colony of New Netherland. New Netherland was founded by the Dutch West India Company in 1623. A year later the West India Company sent the first group of colonists consisting of 30 Walloon families to the new colony. At first they settled throughout the colony in what are the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware, but before long, the families relocated on Manhatten.
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How Dutch Is New York: The Stuyvesant Tour
Audio Tours of eight different areas of Manhattan Island with illustrations
Welcome to the Stuyvesant Tour from Dutch Heritage World Tours. We will take you to an area of Manhattan where in the 17th century Peter Stuyvesant (or Petrus as he was called) had his country home. Stuyvesant came to the colony of New Netherland in 1647 as Director General. The Dutch West India Company established this colony in 1624. New Amsterdam, currently New York City, was the capital. He was not the first Director of the colony. Before him there were Willem Verhulst, Pieter Minuit, Wouter van Twiller, and Willem Kieft. Pieter Minuit was the Director who under the auspices of the West India Company negotiated the island of Manahattan with the Lenape Indians. Near the Staten Island Ferry we find his name represented in the Peter Minuit Plaza.
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How Dutch Is New York: The Hudson Valley Tour
Audio Tours of 20 different locations in the Hudson River Valley
This trip will take you to dozens of places of interest that are all connected to the Dutch past of the Hudson Valley. The Hudson River and the land between New Amsterdam (now New York) and Beverwijck (now Albany) formed the most important part of the colony of New Netherland. Under the rule of the Dutch West India Company the colony existed for only forty years: from 1624 – 1664. However, even after English rule most of the Dutch settlers stayed here and left clear marks. Many settlers and their descendants even became part of the elite of the English colony and the State of New York.
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Fourth Grade Curriculum

Survive and Thrive: Dutch Settlers in New Amsterdam

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Survive and Thrive: Dutch Settlers in New Amsterdam
These lessons will introduce fourth graders to the situation facing Peter Stuyvesant when he arrived in the Dutch colony. Using the online database and the Castello Plan, they will be able to experience what life was like as they meet his neighbors. They will learn what their everyday life was like, including their occupations, the role of women and the everyday struggles everyone faced. Finally, they will experience the government structure of the colony as they take part in a meeting to plan the rescue of one of their own.
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Historical Background Summary - Everyday Life

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Historical Background Summary - Everyday Life
Developed in conjunction with the demonstration fourth grade curriculum, produced by Diane Mallett and Mirla Morrison, under contract to American History Workshop. When teaching about daily life in Peter Stuyvesant’s time, fourth-grade students might find it interesting to consider the kinds of issues that would be immediately relevant to their age group. With this in mind, what follows are several questions that might be asked by children ages nine to ten with historically accurate answers that could be shared by the teacher.
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1609 Map

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609 Map
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Lower Mannahatta Ecological Communities

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Lower Mannahatta Ecological Communities
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Seventh Grade Curriculum

Justice, Courage, and Community: Dutch Settlers in New Amsterdam, circa 1641

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Justice, Courage and Community: Dutch Settlers in New Amsterdam, circa 1641
The 7th grade curriculum investigates the concepts of justice, courage, and community in the early Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.
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A Historical Background Summary: “Justice for the Enslaved?”

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A Historical Background Summary: “Justice for the Enslaved?”
Developed in conjunction with the demonstration 7th-grade curriculum, produced by Mikki Shaw and Mirla Morrison, under contract to American History Workshop.
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Dispatches from New Amsterdam: Slavery and Christianity

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Dispatches from New Amsterdam: Slavery and Christianity
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Eleventh Grade Curriculum

Exploring New Amsterdam's Trade and Commerce: A Research Project

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New Amsterdam and Commerce
The 11th grade curriculum addresses how a New Amsterdam colony’s successful commercial society developed.
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A Historical Background Summary: “Imports and Exports — Outfitting Voyages”

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A Historical Background Summary: “Imports and Exports — Outfitting Voyages”
Developed in conjunction with the demonstration 11th-grade curriculum, produced by Greg Varley and Mirla Morrison, under contract to American History Workshop
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Other Video, Audio, and other Reference Materials from our Partners