Financial District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
New Amsterdam Plein: Three
The Island
Photographed By Larry Gertner, January 23, 2004
1. New Amsterdam Plein: Three Marker
Peter Minuit arrived at a colony in turmoil. Some 150 miles upriver from the harbor, several Dutch soldiers were killed by Mohawk Indians. The settlers panicked. In 1626, they found their leader, Verhulst, guilty of mismanagement, removed him from power, and voted Minuet their new commander.
Minuit’s first decision would change history. He saw that the settlers were spread out across 100 miles of wilderness. The original idea had been to use Noten Island (later Governor’s Island) as a capital, but it was too small. Manhattan – after the Indian word for “The Island” - was large enough to support a population. It sat in a world-class harbor, at the mouth of a great river that gave access to the interior.
Manhattan was, in short, a fulcrum between the development of Europe and the raw landscape of North America – the perfect island.
Erected by The Kingdom of The Netherlands. (Marker Number 3.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1626.
Location. 40° 42.132′ N, 74° 0.808′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in the Financial District. Marker
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. New Amsterdam Plein: Five (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Four (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein : Six (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Seven (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Two (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Eight (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: Nine (here, next to this marker); New Amsterdam Plein: One (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
More about this marker. The markers are laid into the ground. "Plein" can be translated as "square".
Also see . . . New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 21, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, December 11, 2018
2. Marker locations
The markers are arranged around a bronze relief map of Niew Amsterdam.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, January 23, 2004
3. Bronze relief map of Niew Amsterdam
Photographed By Larry Gertner, January 23, 2004
4. New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion
This was a four-hundredth anniversary present from The Netherlands to New York City.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 149 times since then and 11 times this year. Last updated on February 21, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 1, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
