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This webpage reproduces a section of

Dutch Explorers, Traders and Settlers in the Delaware Valley 1609‑1684

by
Clinton Albert Weslager

University of Pennsylvania Press
Philadelphia 1961

The text is in the public domain.

This page has been carefully proofread
and I believe it to be free of errors.
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This site is not affiliated with the US Military Academy.

 p11  Important Dates in Dutch Chronology
on the Delaware

August 1609 Henry Hudson anchors in Delaware Bay.
1610‑1620 Dutch navigators explore Delaware River.
1621 West India Company formed in Holland.
1624 The Company sends a group of Walloons to settle on an island in the Delaware.
1625 The Company sends Willem Verhulst as "provisional governor" of New Netherland instructing him to have his usual residence on High Island in the Delaware and to strengthen the Delaware colony.
1626 Walloon and Dutch settlers withdrawn from the Delaware to Manhattan Island, which becomes seat of New Netherland. Fort Nassau built as a post for use in Indian trade.
1631 Patroons establish a whaling colony called Swanendael at site of present Lewes, Delaware.
1632 Settlers at Swanendael massacred by the Indians.
 p12  1634 Party of English brought by Thomas Yong settle at Arrowamex (Fort Nassau) but are removed by the Dutch.
1638 Peter Minuit brings Swedish expedition to the Delaware and builds Fort Christina.
1640‑1641 Swedes extend limits of New Sweden from Schuylkill River to the falls at Trenton. Peter Ridder buys land for Swedes from Raccoon Creek to Cape May.
1641 Group of English from New Haven settle at Watcessit on the Varckens Kill (Salem River) on the east side of the Delaware.
1642 English from Watcessit attempt to settle on Schuylkill, but are driven off by the Dutch.
1644 Englishmen from Boston enter Delaware, intending to found a settlement, but are turned back by Dutch and Swedes.
April 1648 The Company builds Fort Beversreede.
1651 Stuyvesant builds Fort Casimir, and Fort Nassau and Fort Beversreede are abandoned.
May 21, 1654 Swedish Governor Rising captures Fort Casimir and renames it Fort Trinity.
September 1, 1655 Dutch recapture Fort Casimir, and seize Fort Christina, taking control of the Delaware from the Swedes.
December 19, 1656 Owner­ship of Fort Casimir transferred from the West India Company to the Burgomasters of the City of Amsterdam,  p13 who change name to New Amstel. Documents covering sale signed April 12, 1657.
1659 "The Company's Fort" built at Swanendael, now called the Hoerenkil.
1659 Col. Nathaniel Utie, member of Maryland Council, comes to New Amstel and orders Dutch to leave. Stuyvesant sends Augustine Herrman and Resolved Waldron to Maryland for discussions; they find a flaw in Lord Baltimore's charter.
1663 The City of Amsterdam acquires all of the Delaware River territory from the Company. Cornelis Plockhoy founds a colony of Dutch Mennonites at the Hoerenkil under auspices of the City.
October 1644 New Amstel surrenders to Sir Robert Carr; name changed to New Castle; Carr destroys Plockhoy's colony at the Hoerenkil; all the Delaware territory now falls under control of the Duke of York.
August 8, 1673 New Netherland, including New Castle and Delaware territory, again seized by Dutch.
Xmas Eve, 1673 Lord Baltimore's soldiers burn all the houses at the Hoerenkil to prevent their falling into the hands of the Dutch.
February 19, 1674 New Castle, the Hoerenkil, and all the Delaware territory returned to the English under the Treaty of Westminster.

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Page updated: 19 Oct 25

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