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TitleThe Island at the Center of the World
SubtitleThe Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America
AuthorRussell Shorto
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PublisherHachette UK
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Publication Year2013
ISBN#0-349-14021-9
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Pages416
Translator
Languageen
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KeywordsHistory
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Front Coverf82aa6c4c68a25e6837b48401bef2f67.jpeg
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When the British wrested New Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664, the truth about its thriving, polyglot society began to disappear into myths about an island purchased for 24 dollars and a cartoonish peg-legged governor. But the story of the Dutch colony of New Netherland was merely lost, not destroyed. Drawing on the archives of the New Netherland Project, Russell Shorto has created a gripping narrative that transforms our understanding of early America.

The Dutch colony pre-dated the 'original' thirteen colonies, yet it seems strikingly familiar. Its capital was cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic, and its citizens valued free trade, individual rights, and religious freedom. Their champion was a progressive, young lawyer named Adriaen van der Donck, who emerges in these pages as a forgotten American patriot and whose political vision brought him into conflict with Peter Stuyvesant, the autocratic director of the Dutch colony. The struggle between these two strong-willed men laid the foundation for New York City and helped shape American culture. The Island at the Center of the World uncovers a lost world and offers a surprising new perspective on our own.

ID377
Date Created2021-08-20
Date Modified2021-08-20