What and Where was New Netherland?

What was New Netherland? Where was it? Before delving into the promised exploration of Jersey City’s Dutch heritage, I’ll try to answer these crucial geographical questions with a gorgeous map.

Novi Belgii Angliae Nec Non Partis Virginiae Tabula, Nicolaas Visscher, c. 1684 (Courtesy of Geheugen van Nederland).

All right. Although a remarkable example of classic cartography, the first map fails to answer the fundamental questions. This next map should do:

Nova Belgica et Anglica Nova, 1694 (Courtesy of Fordham University Archives and Special Collections).

New Netherland stretched across the Long Island Sound, through the Hudson River Valley, and to Canadian border. It extended along the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey and Delaware and up the Delaware Bay. Parts of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York all belonged to the colony.

Folks, I hope this helps. Now, let’s return to the glories of Jersey City …