Historian Russell Shorto Traces Dutch Colonial Roots in Lower Manhattan

Historian Russell Shorto recently led a walk through Lower Manhattan, pointing out sites connected to New Amsterdam, the 17th-century Dutch settlement. He identified the corner of Whitehall and Pearl Street as the location where Peter Stuyvesant, the peg-legged director-general of New Netherland, built his house. From this vantage point, Stuyvesant could monitor maritime traffic. Shorto explained that Pearl Street, named for offshore oysters, contained the first houses built by Dutch settlers 400 years ago. Broad Street originally served as a canal running through the center of the settlement. The walk highlighted how contemporary urban geography overlays this colonial history. Shorto has authored two books on Manhattan's Dutch origins. The exploration was part of a broader institutional focus on commemorating historical narratives.