In 1641, Adrian Van der Donck (c.1618-1655) ¹, fresh from studying law at Leiden University, one of the premier universities of Europe, arrived in New Amsterdam. He presented his introduction letter from Kiliaen van Rensselaer to Willem Kieft at Fort Amsterdam. ², Within the month, he went 150 miles up the North River (Hudson River) to Rensselaerswyck to begin work as schout for Van Rensselaer at his patroonship, being colonized mainly by farmers, Rensselaerswyck, in what is now the Albany, New York vicinity. When Van der Donck arrived there were only about a hundred residents in the colony of Rensselaerswyck. ³ It should be noted that Van Rensselaer administered Rensselaerswyck remotely from Amsterdam, and, to the best of knowledge, never visited it personally. It neighbored Fort Orange which lent it some security.

New Netherland was part of the Dutch colonial trading empire administered by the Dutch West India Company (WIC). New Amsterdam was governed by the WIC, and the patroonships were governed by the patroon who had the rights to appoint its officials and set up civil and criminal courts for the settlers coming to the colony.

Van der Donck spent a lot of his time in the exploring the local vicinity, meeting and interacting with the colonists and the Native Americans, and learning their language. He observed and learned, and this knowledge was critical in the actions he would take on the colonist's behalf in New Netherland, and he would later publish many of his observations in efforts to attract new colonists.

It did not take long for Van Rensselaer, who was intent only on profitablily of his venture to become frustrated with Van der Donck. ⁴ Van der Donck was steeped in fairness, and democratic, representative government. The iron rule of the patroonships, as well as the rule of New Amsterdam, were at odds with a favorable more democratic system that the colonists would come to desire as their numbers increased. Van der Donck's contract was not renewed when it expired in 1644, and he turned his attention to New Amsterdam, where he was well known from his position at Rensselaerswyck.

New Amsterdam was not succeeding. Increasing numbers of colonists were increasingly dissatisfied. They were not content with Willem Kieft's rule and made it known to him, and eventually the WIC directors in Amsterdam, and the States General at The Hague. Van der Donck, with his legal knowledge and ability, began documenting the grievances (which included his war on the Indians and new taxes being imposed) and was almost certainly the author of a petition to the directors of WIC in Netherland that Kieft be replaced and that a representative system of governance be adopted. The directors recalled Kieft to defend his actions, and did replace him, but chose to crack down on its governance. ⁵

When Kieft was recalled because of the complaints, he decided on a path "to bring calm and peace to the land". In his final days in charge, he engaged in some peace talks with the Indians. One, in particular, with the Mohawks at Fort Orange, Kieft included Van der Donck. Exchanging gifts in negotiations was a well-known, and necessary custom, of which Kieft was not aware. Van der Donck, fortunately, had sewant with him that he loaned Kieft "in order to secure the agreement". In appreciation, Kieft granted Van der Donck a tract of land on the east side of the Hudson River about sixteen miles above New Amsterdam. This gave Van der Donck the rights of a patroon to establish a government, appoint officers and magistrates, and establish churches and schools. He named it Colendonck. ⁶ He became known there as the Jonkheer ("young gentleman"), and his land as "de Jonckheer's Landt", which became abbreviated simply as "Yonkers", the name persisting to today. ⁷

Van der Donck married Mary Doughty in the Dutch Reformed Church in New Amsterdam in 1645. She was the daughter of an English preacher, Francis Doughty. ⁸ (Wikitree).

The directors of WIC named Peter Stuyvesant the new Director of New Amsterdam in 1647. He was a former army officer and had previously governed the Caribbean island of Curaçao, where he lost his right leg to an enemy cannonball and had a wooden leg. The positive hopes of Van der Donck and the colonists did not work out.

The grievances continued in a series of events and were conveyed to the States General. Stuyvesant searched and found Van der Donck's journal notes, and placed him under house arrest for high treason. A mandamus was issued from the States General in The Hague for Stuyvesant or his attorneys to appear before the States General to defend or renounce some sentences he had invoked. The mandamus was served, being read in public at a church with Stuyvesant present, giving Stuyvesant few options. He released Van der Donck, and ordered him to substantiate the claims in his journal notes. The arguments were to be taken and argued in front of the States General at The Hague. Stuyvesant was sending Cornelis van Tienhoven, his Secretary of New Netherland. Van der Donck was going there with two other members of the Board of Nine, the board that Stuyvesant convened, but largely ignored. ⁹

Van der Donck's arguments form the document known as the The Remonstrance. The copy referenced here includes Van Tienhoven's Answer, and its full title is Remonstrance of New Netherland and the Occurrences There. Addressed to the High and Mighty States General of the United Netherlands, on the 28th July, 1649. With Secretary Van Tienhoven's Answer. ¹⁰

The Remonstrance begins with the discovery of New Netherland and thus their claim to it, Next is a description of the land and waterways. Then a description of the crops that would grow there, animals that thrived there, and even minerals. He describes the Indians in great detail from appearance to culture. He then describes the problems of "bad government" that were responsible for its "low and ruinous condition", as well as trespassing by the neighboring English and Swedes. Direct complaints about Kieft and Stuyvesant are made. The last section is "In What Manner New Netherland Should Be Redressed". He suggests that the WIC be dismissed from governing New Netherland. New Amsterdam should have its own representative government in order to succeed. ¹¹

A map of New Netherland most likely drawn by Augustin Herman, a cartographer and one of the Board of Nine, was included with The Remonstrance. ¹² Versions of this map were reproduced and used for a century. ¹³ The engraved version became known as the Jansson-Visscher map. Jansson-Visscher map of New Netherland ¹⁴ which itself included an inset sketch view of New Amsterdam as a "tumbledown village devoid of humans". In later editions, to encourage colonization, the map was touched up to be more inviting. ¹⁵

The New Netherland map has many names that are recognizable today e.g.: Manhattans [Manhattan], Barndegat [Barnegat], Eyerhaven [Egg Harbor], Lange Eylandt [Long Island], Caep May [Cape May], C. Hinlopen [Cape Henlopen].

In 1650 van der Donck published a version of The Remonstrance in a pamphlet version. ¹⁶

The next installment will pick up with the decision of the States General.