New+Amsterdam

New Amsterdam was a 17th century Dutch colonial settlement that later became New York City. The harbor and the river were discovered, explored, and chartered by an expedition of the Dutch East India Company captained by Henry Hudson in 1609. Hudson named the river the Mauritius River and was covertly attempting to find the Northwest Passage for the Dutch East India Company. Instead, he brought back news about the possibility of exploration of beaver pelts in the area. Created by Anna Mack: December 8, 2007 Edited by Christina Oelsner Dec. 9, 2008 Edited by Hampton Webb on December 11, 2008