This year we celebrate 400 years of enduring friendship between the Netherlands and the United States. Four hundred years ago, a Dutch ship called the "De Halve Maen" (the Half Moon) guided to the shores of what is now New York City with Captain Henry Hudson at the helm. This lead to the establishment of New Amsterdam and the New Netherland colony. Some 167 years later, in 1776, the Dutch were the first to salute the flag of the United States of America. NY400 celebrates the free spirit, openness, entrepreneurship and tolerance of those Dutch pioneers.
The "Halve Maen" on the Hudson
Many festivities will be held during this year in light of founding New Amsterdam and 400 years of ties between New York City and the Netherlands. I will be keep a close eye on them and will keep you posted here on my blog!
Last Wednesday, on January 28, mayor Michael Bloomberg (NYC) and mayor Job Cohen (Amsterdam) kicked off the celebrations with a press conference and the unveiling of the model of The New Amsterdam Pavilion & Plein, a gift from the Netherlands which will be built at Battery Park, the spot where the first Dutch pioneers arrived in 1609.
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