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The colony of New York was a melting pot of cultures. Men and women from many European countries and Africa, as well as Native Americans, lived in small settlements throughout the colony. These settlements grew into towns as shiploads of colonists came to America. Colonists brought with them their own ideas, beliefs, religions, and customs. Friends and families who had traveled together from countries in Europe tried to live near each other to offer help and companionship to one another. In this way, they were able to keep some of their customs alive. They had come from the same homeland and spoke the same language. They soon found however, that in this new land they would need to learn to adapt to a new life.
New Amsterdam, the first Dutch settlement, was started by colonists who had a tradition of hard work and determination. Through their efforts the small village became an important trading center. Merchants and traders arrived there from a variety of nations. By 1650, at least 18 different languages were being spoken in the community. English, French, Germans, Swiss, and Portuguese joined the Dutch, and New Amsterdam quickly became an important cultural center. The lives of the Dutch colonists were not entirely filled with work. They also enjoyed parties and social events. The Dutch brought their celebration of the feast of St. Nicholas and the legend of Sinterklaas, as the children called him, to New Amsterdam. Children today continue that custom and look forward to the arrival of Santa Claus as they hang up their stockings each December.
Wintertime in the colony also brought outdoor fun. Skating had long been a popular pastime in Holland, and the cold winter weather in the colony made it easy to enjoy in the new world too. Sledding down hills quickly became a new favorite winter time activity, as the Dutch did not have hills back in Holland. Today we still enjoy these pastimes. In the 1600's, the Native Americans showed the colonists how to hunt, fish, and gather native plants. They also taught them how to grow corn and other vegetables such as pumpkins. Corn became as important to the colonists as it was to the Native Americans, and they ate it in some form almost every day. The Dutch had also brought with them many foods that we still see today. Lettuce, tomatoes, coleslaw, cookies, and waffles were brought by Dutch settlers.
Today some of the stone buildings, houses, and churches that were built by the Dutch in colonial times are still standing in the Hudson Valley. We also find reminders of their culture when we hear names of like Catskill, Brooklyn, and Duchess County. Hundreds of other words in the English language that we use today can be credited to the Dutch.
Some colonists such as the French Huguenots, who came to New Amsterdam in the 1640's, tried to keep their own French customs and language. They had come to America to seek religious freedom. In 1664, when New Amsterdam was turned over to the English and became New York, the Huguenots started a new settlement which today is known as New Paltz. As more and more Dutch and English colonists arrived, and their children began to grow up in America, their language began to disappear. German colonists called Palatines also came to New York in the early 1700's to gain the freedom to practice their religion. They settled along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers in such towns as Newburgh and Rhinebeck. Germans made up 8-9% of the American population by the end of the century.
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