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Before colonists from Europe made the East Coast home, several Native American tribes were making their own living there. For over 10,000 years, Natives inhabited the Staten Island territory. Raritan and subgroups Lenape tribes called the New Dorp areas home when Europeans in the 17th century. Europeans were first recorded to settle in the area in 1671. Originally, the Dutch settlers colonized the area only to be taken over by the English. But the story between the Dutch and Lenape tribes do not end there. An extermination campaign was waged against the tribes by the governor of New Netherland. Rumors of pigs being stolen from a farm on present-day Staten Island provoked an attack against the tribes. This would then led to the Kieft’s War between local tribes and New Netherland Settlers.

The Kieft’s War, or Wappinger War, lasted two years from 1643 to 1645 with the native Lenape population. It is said Governor William Kieft ordered the attacked without the approval of his fellow colonists and advisory council. Lenape camps were massacred by Dutch soldiers. This led to the Lenape tribes to unify with neighboring Algonquian tribes against the Dutch. War waged on between the Dutch and Natives for two years with several attacks coming from both sides. This conflict between the Dutch settlers and native tribes was one of the earliest since Europeans came to the East Coast. But the Dutch settlers never wanted the conflict and attacks. In response to the governor’s attacks on the tribes, the Dutch West India Company ordered him to leave the colony and return to the Netherlands. However, Kieft died on his return home. In his place, the company sent Peter Stuyvesant. Unfortunately, tensions still ran high with the Algonquins because of Kieft’s actions. Because of these tensions, many Dutch settlers returned to the Netherlands, slowing down the growth of the colony.

Governor Kieft was never fit to take control of the colony from the start. He arrived in New Netherland in April of 1638. Appointed by the Dutch West India Company, he never had previous experience or qualifications to be director of a new settlement. It is said he could have been appointed because of family political connections. Do you have a big test coming up? Contact a tutor in your area to help you study and get the grades you need. There is no doubt that Kieft failed the Dutch colonists. Instead of growing good relations with the natives, he created turmoil with them against the wishes of his fellow colonists. His successor, Stuyvesant, had better relations but could not turn around the damage done by Kieft. Eventually, the English took over the colony. Prominent families, such as the Vanderbilts, moved into the once Dutch settlement. Stuyvesant moved on to build New Amsterdam in other parts of Manhattan, making a positive reputation for himself along the way.