Document: Ordinance|Director General and Council against selling alcohol to the Native Americans: trespass: for the proper maintenance of fences: and establishing an animal pound

Document ID
NYC-RNA_V1_003
Description

Ordinance|Director General and Council against selling alcohol to the Native Americans: trespass: for the proper maintenance of fences: and establishing an animal pound

Document Date
1647-07-01
Document Date (Date Type)
1647-07-01
Document Type
Full Resolution Image

Translation
Translation

WHEREAS daily a great deal of strong liquor is sold to Indians, which before now has caused great difficulties to the country, and because it has become necessary to prevent a recurrence of these difficulties in time. Therefore the Director General and Council of New Netherland forbid all tapsters and other inhabitants henceforth to sell any wine, beer or strong liquors to the savages, to draw it for them or give it in barter in any manner or form or under any pretext whatsoever, or to have it fetched away in a mug and thus let it come to the Indians by the third or fourth hand, directly or indirectly: under a penalty of 500 Carolusguilders and besides the responsibility of the mishaps, resulting therefrom.

Everybody is also warned and forbidden, to damage lands, orchards and gardens, be it in fences or fruits, and whoever shall be found, to have damaged lands, orchards and gardens in fences or fruits, shall pay a fine of 100 guilders and receive arbitrary correction.

All inhabitants of New Netherland are also charged and commanded, well to fence their lands, that the cattle may not do any damage. The cattle, be it horses or cows or especially goats and pigs must be taken care of or otherwise disposed of, that they can do no damage, for which purpose Fiscal van Dyck shall build a pound and keep the animals, until the damage is repaired and the fine paid. Everybody is warned and should prevent damages.

Done at Fort Amsterdam in N.N., present the late Director-General Kieft, the Honble Dincklagen, Monsieur la Montagne, Capt.-Lieut. Nuton, Poulus Leendertsen (van die Grift), Jacob Loper, Helmer Tomassen and Jan Clasen Bol, July 1st, 1647.

References

The Records of New Amsterdam from 1653 to 1674 Anno Domini, Volume I Minutes of the Court of Burgomasters and Schepens 1653-1655, Translations by Edumund O'Callaghan,  Edited by Berthold Fernow,  1897, Published under the authority of the City of New York by the Knickerbocker Press

Document Location