Best non-fiction books about New Netherland

1. The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto

Narrative non-fiction at its best. Pre-recquosite reading. It tells the story of the colony and Adriaen van der Donck, a forgotten early American visionary who helped shape the foundations and culture of New York City.

Shorto mentions Catalyna and Joris. He calls them "the Adam and Eve of New York."

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2. The Colony of New Netherland by Jaap Jacobs

Jacobs’ research is thorough. He has read all primary and secondary resources in Dutch and English. I relied heavily on this book when comparing conflicting interpretations of history.

I credit this book for getting me through a writing block. I knew Sarah Rapalje owned land next to a woman named Susanna Negrin but I couldn't find much on Susanna. I opened this book up, re-reading absentmindedly, and found Jacobs' mention of Susanna Negrin, who was the only African that fully converted to the Dutch Reformed Church prior to 1664.

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3. A Description of New Netherland by Adriaen van der Donck.

First published in 1655, this is a first-hand account of the flora, fauna, and Natives of New York State in the 17th-century.

Van der Donck's love for his adopted country shines (more on that in Russell Shorto's book, mentioned above) as well as his meticulous documentation of the land and Natives. One story that stood out was an account of some whales that veered too far up the Hudson River and became beached! The colonists gladly harvested the blubber.

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4. Journey Into Mohawk Country by Harmen van den Bogaert and artwork by George O’Connor

This is a graphic novel with the story taken from the journal of van den Bogaert’s 1634 journey to negotiate trade relations with the Haudenosaunee.

I love this one because it uses primary source material but adds the genius of a graphic novel to help illustrate a first-hand account!

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5. History on Our Plate by Peter G. Rose.

A recipe book that also explains colonial Dutch culture, celebrations, cooking implements, and methods. One interesting quote: "It is worth noting that most olive oil-producing countries remained Catholic and most butter-producing countries became Protestant." Butter was a very important ingredient in the colonial cook's repertoire and it was even used as a form of payment!

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6. New York Historical Manuscripts: Old First Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn 1660-1752

This is interesting because few records exist from early Brooklyn. It includes Domine Selijns’ chronicle of noteworthy events in the congregation, such as baptisms, marriages, and membership. It’s a wonderful reference for genealogy research.

Because it's a direct translation, it felt like time travel to see my ancestors' names and when they took bible studies or sponsored a baptism. On one baptismal day, Sarah appears in the records as a sponsor for one birth while Bourgon Broucard appears for another. Little did they know, their grandchildren would marry and become my ancestors!

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7. Medicine Generations by Misty Cook (Davids)

I met Misty at the New Paltz Historic Huguenot Street's New Amsterdam Marketplace event this summer. She's a descendant of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Tribe and the Oneida Tribe. In her book, she shares medicinal herbs and preparations passed down from "Granny," her great-great-great grandmother. I love that familial tradition of knowledge and appreciate her generosity in sharing it.

As the first settlers, Joris and Catalyna had close ties with the Natives who taught them to survive and traded goods peacefully. It's mindblowing to me that 400 years later, Misty and I connected over a shared interest in herbalism while our sons played with matchbox cars.