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| c. Dutch and Swedish Settlements |
| 1602 |
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| The United East India Company was chartered by the states-general of Holland. | 1 |
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| 1609 |
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| The company employed Henry Hudson, an Englishman, to search for the northwest passage. He sighted land at Newfoundland, explored the New England coast, rounded Cape Cod, proceeded south to Virginia, probably entered Chesapeake Bay, entered Delaware Bay, and exploree the Hudson River to Albany. Friendly relations with Iroquois Indians. | 2 |
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| 1612 |
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| Dutch merchants sent Christianson and Block to Manhattan Island to engage in fur trade. A post was established in 1613. | 3 |
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| 1614 |
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| Fort Nassau, later Fort Orange, built near present Albany. Exploration by Adrian Block of Long Island Sound, Connecticut coast, Narragansett Bay, and Cape Cod. As a result the New Netherland Company was formed and given monopoly of trade between the 40th and 45th parallels. Fur trade carried on and the coast explored. | 4 |
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| 1621 |
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| The Dutch West India Company was chartered and given a monopoly of trade in Africa and America. | 5 |
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| 1626 |
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| Peter Minuit became director-general of the company. He purchased Manhattan Island from the Indians for $24 and founded the settlement of New Amsterdam. Meanwhile the attention of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was called to the Delaware country. In 1637, the New Sweden Company was organized, chiefly as a result of the encouragement of two Dutchmen, Samuel Blommaert and Minuit. | 6 |
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| 1629 |
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| Under the urging of Killiaen Van Rensslaer, a wealthy Amsterdam jeweler, the Dutch government established the patroon system, which provided huge estates to wealthy Dutchmen in exchange for settling 50 tenants on the land within a four-year period. | 7 |
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| 1638 |
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| Two Swedish vessels arrived on the Delaware and Fort Christina was established. This intrusion of the Swedes angered Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherland, who urged the West India Company to occupy New Sweden, which was done in 1655. | 8 |
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