Light

New Netherlands

Definition

New Netherlands was a 17th-century colonial province of the Seven United Provinces that was located on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to southwestern Cape Cod.

Analogy

Think of New Netherlands as a pop-up shop in a mall. It's there for a while, doing its own thing, but eventually it gets bought out and rebranded by another bigger store (in this case, England).

Related terms

Delmarva Peninsula: A large peninsula on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by Delaware and parts of Maryland and Virginia. It played an important role in early colonial settlements.

Seven United Provinces: This was essentially what we now know as The Netherlands during the 17th century. They were autonomous provinces that came together under one central government much like how individual states operate within the U.S.

Cape Cod: A geographic cape extending into the Atlantic Ocean from southeastern Massachusetts. Its historic significance dates back to 1620 when Pilgrims landed here before settling at Plymouth Rock.