New Netherland Institute facts for kids
The New Netherland Institute is a special group that helps us learn about a very old part of American history. It's a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't make money for itself. Instead, it works to support the translation and publishing of old Dutch papers from the 1600s. These papers tell us about a time when the Dutch people started colonies in America, in a place they called New Netherland.
Bringing Old Documents to Life
This important work began in 1974. That's when the New Netherland Project was created. It was started by the New York State Library and the Holland Society of New York. Their goal was to translate old documents written in Dutch. By 2013, they had translated more than 7,000 pages! Imagine how much history is hidden in those old papers.
The Institute also helps the New Netherland Research Center. This center opened in 2010 at the New York State Library. It's a place where people can study these translated documents.
Why These Documents Matter
One main reason for this project is to make these old Dutch papers available to American scholars. Scholars are like super-smart researchers who study history. Many of them can't read Dutch from the 1600s. So, the translated documents are super helpful!
These papers have been used by many different researchers. They help us understand how the Dutch colony of New Netherland grew. For example, a famous book called The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America by Russell Shorto used these translated documents. This book helped many people learn about the Dutch beginnings of places like New York City.
See also
In Spanish: New Netherland Project para niños
External links
- New Netherland Institute
- New Netherland Research Center
