RUSSELL SHORTO: TAKING MANHATTAN
This episode of Big Blend Radio’s WAY BACK WHEN History Podcast features best-selling author and historian Russell Shorto who discusses his new book, “Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America.” Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
In 1664, England decided to invade the Dutch-controlled city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York, had dreams of an empire, and their archrivals, the Dutch, were in the way. But Richard Nicolls, the military officer who led the English flotilla bent on destruction, changed his strategy once he encountered Peter Stuyvesant, New Netherland’s canny director general.
While the 1626 Dutch purchase of Manhattan is widely remembered, the English seizure of the island and its transformation into New York remains a relatively overlooked moment in history.
“Taking Manhattan” reveals the founding of New York to be an invention, the result of creative negotiations that would blend the multiethnic, capitalistic society of New Amsterdam with the power of the rising English empire. But the birth of what might be termed the first modern city is also a story of the brutal dispossession of Native Americans and of the roots of American slavery. The book draws from newly translated materials and illuminates neglected histories—of religious refugees, Indigenous tribes, and free and enslaved Africans.
Key Highlights of the Book:
* The Cultural Collision: A rich tapestry of characters, from Indigenous tribes and Dutch settlers to English invaders and enslaved Africans, whose lives intersected at a crucial juncture
* The Battle of Empires: An in-depth examination of the Dutch and English rivalry, revealing how New York’s pluralistic DNA was forged amidst conflict.
* New Perspectives on History: Using recently translated documents, Shorto challenges conventional narratives, presenting the transition as a remarkable collaboration rather than a simple conquest.
* Timeless Questions: How do we reconcile America’s ideals of pluralism and capitalism with its history of exploitation and injustice? Shorto offers fresh insights into this enduring debate.
Learn more at: https://www.russellshorto.com/
