Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant served as the Dutch Director General of New Netherlands from 1647 to 1664, and presided over the early settlement and establishment of Manhattan and other present-day New York City and New Jersey municipalities.
Fast Facts:
- Born: ca. 1612
- Married: Judith Bayard
- Died: August, 1672
- Built the protective wall on Wall Street
- Born in Peperga, The Netherlands
- Nickname: Old Silver Nails, Peg Leg Pete
- Had a wooden leg
- Credited with introducing tea to the American colonies
- Housing complex Stuyvesant Town on East Side of Manhattan, Stuyvesant High School named after him
Brief Biography
Peter Stuyvesant led the Dutch colony of New Netherlands (name changed in 1653 to New Amsterdam) on present-day Manhattan Island. Stuyvesant's rule was marked by frequent attacks by hostile Native Americans and boundary disputes with the New England colonies to the north. Stuyvesant forbade religious freedom in his colony, and ruled with an autocratic style that angered many. Some historians have suggested that his ill-temper was the result of a poorly fitting leg prothesis, which was thought to have been attached to his leg with nails. In 1664, Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, whereupon the colony was renamed New York.
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