The Duke of York

The Duke of York Becomes the Ruler of New York

Jul 9, 2006 Mary Trotter Kion

The Duke of York finally gets New York. John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret Establish New Jersey; it becomes populated by Quakers, Catholics, and Presbyterians.

Duke of York and New York

New Netherlands had now been taken away from the Dutch, including a profitably patch of ground known as Long Island, the Duke of York became the sole ruler of New York. And of course, the name New Netherlands was appropriately changed to honor the new owner of the property. All the Duke had to do now was show loyalty to his brother the king by paying him a yearly sum of 40 beaver skins. But the fun wasn't over yet and the Dutch hadn't given up quietly.

The Duke of York was to have ample opportunity to learn the finer points of ruling a country, as he would need when he later became King of England him self, as James II.

In 1673, the The Dutch recaptured the colony but only held on to it for a year before England took it back again.

Berkeley and Carteret Establish New Jersey

Not long after the Duke of York received his charter, he signed over the land lying between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. This land went to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. These two men, who had previously assisted in restoring the Stuarts to the throne and were members of the group who had first founded Carolina, named their new possession New Jersey.

New Jersey Quakers, Catholics and Presbyterians

This latest real estate venture of Berkeley and Carteret was purely for profit. But after numerous sales and confusions over title claims they gave over, in 1702, any political power that they possessed that was connected to New Jersey to the crown.

Throughout all of this land confusion, New Jersey had gone without settlement. The New Jersey settlers that now came in were a curious assortment of Quakers,

target="_blank">Catholics,

and Presbyterians.

Colonial America Series continues, July 16, 2006, with:

target="_blank">The Quakers,

Previous: Dutch New York.

Sources:

Athearn, Robert G. The New World: American Heritage New Illustrated History of the United States, Volume 2, Colonial America. Dell Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1963.

Carson, Clarence B. A Basic History of the United States, volume 1: The Colonial Experience, 1607-1774. American Textbook Committee, Wadley, Alabama, 1987.

The copyright of the article The Duke of York in American History is owned by Mary Trotter Kion. Permission to republish The Duke of York in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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