The New Amsterdam History Center Lecture Series and the Holland Society of New York presents “The Lawyer and the Fox: A Tale of Tricks and Treachery in New Amsterdam”, a talk by Jaap Jacobs. The talk will take place on Thursday, October 3 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Afterwards, a Q&A with Jacobs will follow.

The Lawyer and the Fox: A Tale of Tricks and Treachery in New Amsterdam

The fierce struggle between Adriaen van der Donck, and Petrus Stuyvesant, was set in motion when both men clashed in New Netherland. But the roots of their enmity lay in the distant Netherlands.

Each year on October 3rd, the Dutch city of Leiden celebrates the lifting of the siege by the Spaniards in 1574. To reward its courage, the prince of Orange offered the city a choice between tax freedoms or a university. The city opted for the latter and in 1575 Leiden University was founded. One product of its Faculty of Law was Adriaen van der Donck. In 1585 the Frisian University of Franeker was founded, of which Petrus Stuyvesant was a proud alumnus. Jacob’s talk will focus on the background and motives of the two protagonists in New Netherland.

About Jaap Jacobs

Jaap Jacobs earned his Ph.D. in Leiden and specializes in the history of the Dutch Republic and its colonies in the early modern period. He has taught at Leiden University, the University of Amsterdam, Cornell University, The University of Pennsylvania, and Ohio University. He is currently working on a biography of Petrus Stuyvesant.

For more information on this event, visit the New Amsterdam History Center.