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The Holland Society of New York

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The Holland Society of New York

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The Holland Society is a historical and genealogical society founded to collect and preserve information respecting the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch. The Holland Society is a historical and genealogical society founded to collect and preserve information respecting the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch, and to discover, collect and preserve all still existing documents, etc., relating to their genealogy and history.

08/31/2026

A new edition de Halve Maen has been published and sent to our members and subscribers. Volume 98, Number 2 of our scholarly magazine contains Alan Mikhail’s piece, “Was Anthony the Turk Really a Turk?” Mikhail will be a guest speaker at the Holland Society for a hybrid lecture on September 17 on his book Newcomers: The Story of Anthony and Grietje and the Founding of New York.

Also included is Jennifer Playstead’s essay, “Becoming Native to New Netherlands: Race, Settlement, and the Land in the Creation of “Whiteness”” and David William Vorhees’ book review of Michael J. Douma’s book The Slow Death of Slavery in Dutch New York: A Cultural, Economic, and Demographic History, 1700-1827.

Online subscribers can access the magazine online. Non-members who are interested in a print subscription or online access to the Society’s magazine, please visit our website to subscribe https://bit.ly/3MouucD

08/28/2026

On August 28th, 1609, Henry Hudson reached Delaware Bay with his ship ‘de Halve Maen’ (Half Moon) and claimed it for the Dutch East India Company. He did not come ashore on Delaware land, but reported that the area would be a good location for settlement. The discovery was a significant step in the Dutch claim to New Netherland, and his experience contributed to his later exploration of the Hudson River and Hudson Bay. The Dutch called the estuary "Godyns Bay", or "Godins Bay" after a director of the company, Samuel Godijn.

08/27/2026

At our August Board of Trustees meeting, the Holland Society approved three Legacy members for election to the Society.

Those interested in joining the Holland Society of New York may do so through two means: regular membership or by becoming a Friend of the Society. If you know of relatives who have been members of the Society, you can take advantage of the Legacy application based on their relation to you. For more information and eligibility requirements, visit our website https://hollandsociety.org/join/ or contact us at [email protected].

08/26/2026

Today, genealogical expert Maria Dering walked through how to trace your family history with a focus on New Amsterdam. Maria covered the resources, key elements, and structure needed for a successful genealogical search. Along with covering the basics, Maria answered questions and explored topics of interest, including the unique challenges of New Amsterdam genealogical research. With her decades of experience, Maria provided guidance and clarity to make discovering in-depth family histories possible.

Thank you to all who joined us for this virtual lecture. To view the recording, you can go to the Holland Society's YouTube channel or use the following link: https://youtu.be/jp0jRnyo5VM

08/25/2026

Fall tickets open! With autumn around the corner, join the Holland Society for these fall museum tours in New York City and Boston. Limited space! Book your spot on our website under upcoming events or by using the following link: https://hollandsociety.org/upcoming-events/

* Gardner Museum Book of Esther Private Tour | October 2 (Boston)
* Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Tour | October 23 (NYC)
* Museum of the City of New York Lenape Legacies and Futures Tour | November 11 (NYC)

08/24/2026

Happy National Waffle Day! Did you know the Pilgrims brought waffles to America in 1620s after discovering them during a brief stop in Holland? The word ‘waffle’ is directly derived from the Dutch ‘wafel’.

Dutch immigrants popularized waffles in New Amsterdam, before it became New York. Thomas Jefferson reportedly started a mini American waffle craze during the 1790’s when he returned from France with a goose-handled waffle iron.
On August 24, 1869, Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, NY, a Dutch-American, received a patent for the first waffle iron in the United States, and the anniversary of the patent marks National Waffle Day.

08/22/2026

On this day, August 22, 1654, Jacob Barsimson arrived in New Amsterdam as the first known Jewish immigrant to America. Jewish leaders in the Dutch Republic sent Barsimson to explore the possibility of a more extensive Jewish immigration to New Amsterdam. After Dutch Brazil fell, they felt Jewish communities in Europe needed to find another alternative. Barsimson set sail from the Netherlands on July 8, 1654, on the ship Pear Tree on August 22. A group of 23 Jews from Recife, Brazil, who arrived at New Amsterdam in September, followed Barsimson, and together they established the first Jewish settlement in what would later be the United States. Despite Governor Peter Stuyvesant’s hostility, Barsimson secured a ruling from New Amsterdam’s Dutch municipal court allowing them to stay.

🖼: Manischewitz matza box cover issued in honor of the Tercentenary depicting the 1654 arrival of the first Jews of New Amsterdam.

08/20/2026

The August edition of the Holland Society’s newsletter has been published and is available on our website https://mailchi.mp/2ec87aa9bf90/august-2026-newsletter Tickets are available for our Annual Dinner Dance and be sure to also read about our upcoming events and other exciting opportunities.

Please check out our website’s news page and learn more about the Holland Society’s events and projects planned for 2026. If you would like to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter visit https://hollandsociety.org/newsletter-archives/

08/18/2026

Next upcoming event! Join us next Wednesday, August 26, for a virtual lecture led by genealogical expert Maria Dering to learn about tracing your family history. With a focus on New Amsterdam, Maria will cover the resources, key elements, and structure needed for a successful genealogical search. Along with covering the basics, Maria will also answer questions and explore topics of interest including the unique challenges of New Amsterdam genealogical research. Go to our website under upcoming events or use the link to register: https://bit.ly/4hG6ySW

08/10/2026

In August 1673, during the Third Anglo-Dutch War, Admiral Jacob Benckes commanded a fleet of ships sent by the Dutch government against the British to hinder their trade and capture their vessels off the coast of the Americas. Benckes cunningly combined forces with fleet commander Cornelis Evertsen de Jonge, and in a joint effort, they attacked New York Harbor, which had fallen to the English in 1664. Following the English surrender and the reclaiming of Dutch rule over the city, Evertsen and Benckes served as Governors of New Netherland pending the formal appointment of Anthony Colve to that post. The city was renamed from New York to New Orange. However, the English took back control in 1674 with the signing of the Treaty of Westminster, which also ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War.

🖼: Admiral Jacob Binkes (Benckes) Artist: Nicholaes Maes Metropolitan Museum of New York Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1911

Address

161 W 86th Street, Unit 1AW
New York, NY
10024

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

(212) 758-1675

Website

http://www.hollandsociety.org/

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