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Settling the Dutch New NetherlandsPeter Stuyvesant (c. 1592 – August 1672) served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded (given over) to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York. He was a major figure in the early history of New York City.Stuyvesant joined the West India Company about 1635, and was director of the Dutch West India Company's colony of Curaçao from 1642 to 1644.In April 1644, he attacked the Spanish-held island of Saint Martin and lost the lower part of his right leg to a cannon ball. He returned to the Netherlands, where his right leg was amputated and replaced with a wooden peg. Supposedly, Stuyvesant was given the nickname "Old Silver Leg" because he used a stick of wood driven full of silver bands as a prosthetic limb. [See Photo at Right]

In May of 1645 he was selected by the Dutch West India Company to replace Willem Kieft as Director-General of the New Netherland colony. He arrived in New Amsterdam on May 11, 1647. In September 1647, he appointed an advisory council of Nine Men as representatives of the colonists.Stuyvesant's accomplishments as director-general included a great expansion for the settlement of New Amsterdam beyond the southern tip of Manhattan. Among the projects built by Stuyvesant's administration were the protective wall on Wall Street, the canal that became Broad Street, and Broadway.

Stuyvesant and his family were large landowners in the northeastern portion of New Amsterdam. His farm, called the "Bouwerie" – the seventeenth-century Dutch word for farm – was the source for the name of the Manhattan street The Bowery. Additionally the chapel facing Bouwerie's long approach road (now Stuyvesant Street) became St. Mark's Church in the BoweryStuyvesant was a great believer in education. In 1660 he was quoted as saying that "Nothing is of greater importance than the early instruction of youth." In 1661, New Amsterdam had one grammar school, two free elementary schools, and had licensed 28 masters of school. To honor Stuyvesant's dedication to education and New Amsterdam's legal-cultural tradition of toleration under Stuyvesant, Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan was named after him.

Arrival of Stuyvesant at New Amsterdam

Although conventionally referred to in English today as "Peter Stuyvesant", Stuyvesant's given name was actually "Pieter" or "Petrus"; "Peter" is not found in any historical records.

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Peter StuyvesantBorn: 1592AD

Scherpenzeel, Netherlands

Died: 1672AD Manhattan, New York

Occupation: Politician Business manager

Title: Director-General of New Netherland

Religion: Calvinist(Protestant Christian)

Denomination: Dutch Reformed

Personality: Argumentative, stubborn, and hot tempered

Fun Fact: Had a wooden leg because he lost his in a battle

Nickname: “Peg-leg Pete”