List of colonial governors of New York Facts for Kids

A drawing by Johannes Vingboons of the city of New Amsterdam in 1664—the year the Dutch authorities surrendered the New Netherland colony to the English under Richard Nicholls

The land that is now New York was first settled by European colonists in the 1600s. It was part of a larger colony called New Netherland, which included parts of today's New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware. This colony was managed by the Dutch West India Company. Many early settlers were from the Netherlands, Flanders, Wallonia, and Germany. The colony quickly became a mix of different cultures.

In 1664, during a war between the Dutch and the English (the Second Anglo-Dutch War), English forces led by Richard Nicolls took control of New Netherland. The territory then became part of several English colonies. For a short time (1673–1674), the Dutch took back the colony. However, New York remained under English, and later British, rule until the American colonies declared independence in 1776.

From 1702 to 1738, the colonies of New York and New Jersey shared a royal governor. This arrangement started with Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury and ended when New Jersey got its own governor.

The Dutch Era: New Netherland (1624–1664; 1673–1674)
- Important Dutch Directors
- Dutch Rule Returns Briefly (1673–1674)
Under British Control (1664–1673; 1674–1783)
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See also

The Dutch Era: New Netherland (1624–1664; 1673–1674)

A 1685 map showing New Netherland, New England, and Virginia.

New Netherland|Director of New Netherland New Netherland (called Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch) was a colony established in the 1600s by the Netherlands and the Dutch West India Company. It covered land along the eastern coast of North America, from the Delmarva Peninsula up to southwestern Cape Cod. Today, this area includes New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, and parts of Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The main city of the colony was New Amsterdam, located at the southern tip of Manhattan island, in Upper New York Bay.

New Netherland was started as a business to trade furs in North America. By the 1650s, the colony grew a lot and became an important trading port in the North Atlantic. The leader of the Dutch colony was called the Director or Director-General.

On August 27, 1664, four English ships led by Richard Nicolls sailed into New Amsterdam's harbor. They demanded that New Netherland surrender. This event led to the Second Anglo-Dutch War. After the war, the territory was given to England as part of the Treaty of Breda.

Important Dutch Directors

Here are some of the key leaders of New Netherland:

Cornelius Jacobsen May (1624–1625): He explored areas like Delaware Bay and the Hudson River. He also set up early outposts. Cape May is named after him.
Willem Verhulst (1625–1626): He started building Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. He was not very popular and was quickly replaced.
Peter Minuit (1626–1631): He is famous for purchasing Manhattan Island from Native Americans in 1626. He paid with goods worth about 60 Dutch guilders.
Wouter van Twiller (1633–1638): He bought Nut Island (now Governors Island) from the Canarsee tribe. He also tried to protect the colony's land claims from English settlers.
Willem Kieft (1638–1647): He tried to force out the Lenape tribe, which led to a conflict known as Kieft's War. He was later removed from his position.
Peter Stuyvesant (1647–1664): He was the last Director-General of New Netherland. He helped establish towns like Jersey City. He also fought in the Esopus Wars against Native American tribes. In 1664, he surrendered New Netherland to the British.

Dutch Rule Returns Briefly (1673–1674)

In 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch managed to take back New Amsterdam (which the British had renamed "New York"). Admiral Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest and Captain Anthony Colve led this effort. Evertsen renamed the city "New Orange." However, the Dutch were forced to give New Amsterdam back to the British in 1674 under the Second Treaty of Westminster.

Anthony Colve (1673–1674): He became governor when the Dutch briefly retook New York. His time in charge was short because the colony was returned to the English in 1674.

Under British Control (1664–1673; 1674–1783)

Except for a short period between 1688 and 1689 when New York was part of the Dominion of New England, the territory was known as the Province of New York during this time.

The British appointed many governors to lead the Province of New York. These governors were in charge of managing the colony, collecting taxes, and dealing with Native American tribes and other colonial powers.

Some notable British governors included:

Richard Nicolls (1664–1668): He was the first military governor after the English took control.
Edmund Andros (1674–1683): He was a significant governor who later also governed the Dominion of New England.
Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick (1683–1688): He was known for establishing the first representative assembly in New York.
Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon (1702–1708): He was the first governor to oversee both New York and New Jersey.
Robert Hunter (1710–1719): His time as governor was generally peaceful and prosperous for the colony.
William Cosby (1732–1736): His governorship was marked by a famous court case involving freedom of the press.
George Clinton (1743–1753): He was governor during a time of increasing tensions with France.
Cadwallader Colden (various acting terms between 1760–1775): He served as acting governor multiple times during the lead-up to the American Revolution.
William Tryon (1771–1774, 1775–1780): He was the last British governor of New York before the American Revolution. He continued to be governor even after the war began, though his power was limited.
James Robertson (1780–1783) and Andrew Elliot (1783): They served as military governors during the final years of the American Revolutionary War.