Negotiating the Surrender of New Netherland

In 1624, the Dutch West India Company founded New Amsterdam, a vital trade hub. By 1664, the English sought to seize it. Peter Styvesant, the colony's director, prepared for defense, but the merchants, fearing for their lives, devised a plan. They sent Hillegonds von Riven and Lydia de Meyer to negotiate with the English, convincing them to pursue diplomacy. Consequently, New Amsterdam surrendered peacefully, becoming New York, without bloodshed. Hillegonds and Lydia's crucial role remains largely unrecognized in history.

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