Articles about the Transfer of New Netherland on the 27th of August, Old Style, Anno 1664.
Artykelen, Van 't overgaen van Nieuw-Nederlandt. Op den 27. Augusti, Oude-Stijl, Anno 1664
Library of Congress Summary
On August 27, 1664, a fleet of four British warships under the command of Colonel Richard Nicolls sailed into the harbor of New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) and demanded that Peter Stuyvesant, the director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, surrender the colony to the British. The out-gunned Stuyvesant had no choice but to comply, and under English rule Nicolls became the first governor of the renamed Province of New York. This document lists the articles of capitulation by which the colony was surrendered and that established the rights of Dutch settlers under English rule. Among the 24 articles were provisions that guaranteed certain permanent rights, including liberty of conscience in divine worship and church discipline, the possession of property rights, and the right of the Dutch to follow their own customs with regard to inheritance. The English seizure of New Netherland was one of the reasons why the Second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665--67 occurred, and it was not until the Treaty of Westminster in 1674 that the government of the Netherlands formally acknowledged the transfer of the colony to the English.
The September 29th text below by Governor Nicolls was used to create this document with spelling changes and corrections by NAHC to enhance search results. Original old English is available from Wikipedia.
l. September 29, 1664. Whereupon the City and Fort Amsterdam and Province of the New Netherlands were surrendered under His Most Excellent Mat’s. Obedience, made and concluded the 27th. day of September 1664. by the underwritten Commissioners of Richard Nichols Esquire Deputy Governor of His Royal Highness the Duke of York and Peter Stuyvesant in the name of the Estates Generals of the United Belgic Provinces and West India Company Governor of the said Town and fort and General of that Province and in that quality ratified, and by their subscription confirmed the 29th day of the above Month and year.
We consent that the States General, or the West India Company shall freely enjoy all farms & Houses (except such as are in the forts) and that within six months they shall have free Liberty to transport, all such arms and ammunition as now do belong to them, or else they shall be paid for them.
2. All public Houses shall continue for the uses, which now they are for.
3. All people shall continue free Denizens and enjoy their Lands, Houses, Goods, Ships, wherever they are within this Country, and dispose of them as they please.
4. If any Inhabitant have a mind to remove himself he shall have a year and six weeks from this day to remove himself, Wife, Children, Servants, Goods [2] and to dispose of his Land here.
5. If any officer of State of public Minister of State have a mind to go for England they shall be transported fraught free in His Majesty’s frigates, when those frigates shall return thither.
6. It is consented to, that any people may freely come from the Netherlands and plant in this Country; and that Dutch Vessels may freely come hither, and any of the Dutch may freely return home, or send any sort of Netherlanders home in Vessels of their own Country.
7. All ships from the Netherlands or any other places, and goods therein, shall be received here & sent hence, after the manner, which. Formerly they were before our coming hither for six months next ensuing.
8. The Dutch here shall enjoy their Liberty of their Consciences in Divine Worship and Church Discipline.
9. No Dutchman here or Dutch Ships here shall upon any occasion be pressed to serve in Warr against any Nation whatsoever.
10. That the Townsmen of the Manhattan shall not have any Soldiers quartered upon them without being satisfied and paid for them, by their officers, and that at this present, if the fort be not capable of lodging all the Soldiers, then the Burge Master by His officers shall appoint some House capable to [reward] them. [3]
11. The Dutch here shall enjoy their own Customs concerning their Inheritances.
12. All public writings and Records which. Concerns the Inheritances of any people, or the [Regulment] regulation of the Church or Poor or Orphans shall be carefully kept by them in whose hands now they are, and such writings as particularly concern the states general all may at any time be sent to them.
13. No Judgement that hath passed any Judicature here shall be called in question, but if any conceive that he hath not had Justice done him, if he apply himself to the states General, the other party shall bee bound to answer for the supposed Injury.
14. If any Dutch living here shall at any time desire to travel or traffic into England or any place or Plantation in obedience to His Majesty of England, or with the Indians he shall have (upon his Request to the Governor.) a Certificate that he is a free Denizen of this Place, and Liberty to do so.
15. If it do appear that there is a public engagement of Debt by the Town of Manhattans, and a way agreed on for the satisfying of that engagement. [4] It is agreed that the same proposed shall go on and that the engagement shall be satisfied.
16. All inferior Civil officers and Magistrates shall contrive as now they are (if they please) till the customary time of new Elections; and then new ones to be chosen by themselves Provided that such new ones Magistrates shall take the Oath of Allegiance to His Maty of England before they enter upon their Office.
17. All Differences of Contracts and Bargains made before this day by any in this Country shall be determined according to the manner of the Dutch.
18. If it do appear that the west India Company of Amsterdam do really ow any Sums of money to any persons here, it is agreed that Recognition and other Duties payable by Ships going for the Motherlands, bee continued for six months longer.
19. The officers Military & Soldiers shall march out with their Arms, Drums Beating and Colors flying, and lighted matches; and if any of them will plant they shall have fifty acres of land sett out for them; if any of them will serve any as Servants they shall continue with all safety and become free Denizens afterwards.
20. If at any time hereafter the King of Great Britain and the States of the Motherlands do agree that this place and Country be redelivered into the hands of the said States whensoever His Majesty will send His Commands to redeliver it, it shall immediately be done.
21. That the Town of Manhattans shall choose Deputies and those Deputies shall have free vogues in all public affairs as much as any other Deputies.
22. Those who have any propriety in any Houses in the fort of [aurania] shall (if they please) slight the fortifications there, and then enjoy all their houses as all people do where there is no fort.
23. If there be any Soldiers that will go into Holland and if the Company of West India in Amsterdam, or any private persons here will transport them into Holland, then they shall have a sage Passport from Coll Richard Nicholls Deputy Governor. under His Royall Highness, and the other Commissioners to defend the ship that shall transport such Soldiers, and all the goods in them from any surprise or Acts of Hostility to be done by any of His Majesty’s Ships or Subjects.
That the Copy of the Kings grant to His Royall Highness, and the Copy of His Royall Highness Commission to Coll Nicholls testified by two Comm.rs now and Mr. Winthrop to be true Copies shall be delivered to the Honorable Mr. Stuyvesant the present Governor. on Munday next by sight of [6] the Clock in the morning at the old Milne and these Articles consented to, and signed by Coll Richard. Nicholls Deputy Governor. to His Royall Highness, and that within two hours after the fort and Town called New Amsterdam upon the Isle of Manhattans, shall be delivered into the hands of the said Coll Richard Nicholls by the Service of such as shall be by him thereunto deputed by his hand and seal. I give my consent to those articles
Richard Nicholls.
English signers:
Sir Robert Carr (officer)
George Cartwright (officer)
John Winthrop (Connecticut)
Samuel Willys, (Connecticut)
Thomas Clarke (Massachusetts)
John Pincheon (Massachusetts)
Dutch signers:
Johannes de Decker (Council of New Netherland)
Nicholas Verleet (Council of New Netherland for trade)
Samuel Megapolensis (Council of New Netherland, doc.)
Cornelius Steenwyk (Burgomaster)
Oloff Stevens van Cortlandt (Burgomaster)
James Cousseau (Schepen).
Created / Published
[place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1664-08-27.
For additional reading see:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-sourc…;
Taking Manhattan by Russell Shorto https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Manhattan-Extraordinary-Created-America/d…;
