Dutch immigration to the United States
Many people across the world have Dutch ancestors. This is due to several waves of emigration, occurring between the seventeenth century and the first two decades after World War II. The Dutch settled in former colonies like the Dutch Indies, Suriname and New Amsterdam over a span of several centuries. Nowadays, more and more people worldwide are researching their Dutch ancestors. Here’s a little overview of how the Dutch ended up in different parts of the world.
Seventeenth century: New Amsterdam History
Maybe your Dutch ancestry goes way back to the seventeenth century. The Netherlands at the time was a prosperous country, contributing to worldwide colonization in North and South America as well as Asia. During the seventeenth century, which is known in Dutch as ‘the Golden Age’, many Dutch people emigrated to trading posts located in (former) Dutch colonies such as the Dutch Indies, Suriname and New Amsterdam (today’s New York).
New Amsterdam history is intricately tied up with the history of the Netherlands. It was settled as part of ‘New Netherland’ in 1625, on the lowest tip of the island Manhattan. New Amsterdam existed for just under 40 years, until it was seized by England and christened ‘New York’. However, even today there are still hints of New Amsterdam in the big apple. Think for instance of street names like Amsterdam Avenue or Stuyvesant Street. And of course, there are the inhabitants of New York who have Dutch ancestors.
Dutch in Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin
Between 1880 and 1940, there was another influx of Dutch immigration to the United States. Driven by war and poverty in Europe, many families crossed the Atlantic ocean hoping to find a new life in the USA – as historical Holland America Line passenger lists will show you. Dutch immigrants in America settled mostly in states like Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Washington and New York.
WW2: Dutch immigration to the United States
The Second World War is a big factor in why many people across the world have Dutch ancestors. During the war, over 100.000 Dutch Jewish people were transported to concentration camps and killed by the Nazis. Additionally, many people died of starvation during the so-called ‘hunger winter’ of 1944. Not only did Dutch people flee to America and Canada in search of safety during the war; afterwards, many surviving Dutch Jewish people also settled in Israel.
Researching Dutch ancestors
Perhaps one of the immigration stories above is similar to what you have come across when researching your own Dutch ancestors. Or maybe you don’t know anything about how your ancestors left the Netherlands at all, only that they were Dutch. Whatever your family history is, Dutch Family Roots can help you find out more about your Dutch ancestry. Hire us for a Digital Screening or Digital Check to receive a full report with scans of and links to any important documents we find on your Dutch ancestry.
Historical archive research in the Netherlands
Additionally to our standard services, we offer on-site historical archive research in the Netherlands, as well as help writing a book, large-scale research projects, photographic research and research of unknown heirs. Are you interested in researching your Dutch ancestors or finding out more about Dutch immigration to the United States? Contact us through our website for a full proposal.