de Vries Zwannendael

DAVID de VRIES

NOTES

David de Vries was born in 1593 in the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands to a

wealthy prominent merchant family's and was one of many Dutch entrepreneurs who were

establishing colonies in Asia, Africa and Americas. Dutch banks handled a major share

of Europe's money,, Dutch artist, Rembrandt and Vermear painted Europe',s masterpieces.

Leading thinkers, Baruch Spinoza and Rene Descartes, were among the population

Anthony van Leeuwenhoek was making startling discoveries in science. Netherlands shared

a vigorous seafaring heritage with England and had a desire to set colonies in all parts of the

world. The Dutch were leaders, even down to tulips.

In 1624 the Dutch established a colony on a mid Atlantic island they named Manhattan

and within several years there were new settlements along the Hudson River belonging to

the Dutch.

Along with the successful Manhattan and Hudson River settlements came deVries and

several partners to Cape Henlopen and in 1631 a ship Walrus brought settlers to the

Delaware River. When the Walrus arrived settlers erected a wooden stockade on the

banks of Lewes Creek and named the settlement Zwannendael which was also known as the

Valley of Swans. This settlement had been destroyed by native Indians when de Vries made

a return visit a year later. Downcast de Vries buried the bones of the massacred Dutch settlers

and made the decision to abandon establishment of a colony here and returned to the

Netherlands

Source : Michael Morgan, Sussex Journal, Delaware Coast Press, April 4, 2018

Abstract by Harrison H,, April 4, 2018