Background
In 1609, Henry Hudson explored the river which was named after him. Many of the natives he encountered had never seen European men before and, some were unaware that there were any other people in the world. They were disturbed when, five years later, a Dutch factorij (trading post) was established where Kingston, New York stands today. This land was occupied by the Esopus tribe, who used it for farming. They destroyed the post and drove the settlers back to the south. Colonists established a new settlement in 1652 at Kingston, but the Esopus drove them out again.
In 1658 the Dutch returned to the area as they believed it good for farming. They built a stockade at 41°56′02″N 74°01′11″W / 41.9338°N 74.0197°W / 41.9338; -74.0197Coordinates: 41°56′02″N 74°01′11″W / 41.9338°N 74.0197°W / 41.9338; -74.0197 to defend the village. The colony was named Wiltwijck. Skirmishes continued, but the Esopus were not able to repel the Europeans. Instead, the Esopus granted the land to the settlers. They hoped to limit the foreigners and keep them from overrunning too much important crop land.
Read more about this topic: Esopus Wars
Famous quotes containing the word background:
“Pilate with his question “What is truth?” is gladly trotted out these days as an advocate of Christ, so as to arouse the suspicion that everything known and knowable is an illusion and to erect the cross upon that gruesome background of the impossibility of knowledge.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“I had many problems in my conduct of the office being contrasted with President Kennedy’s conduct in the office, with my manner of dealing with things and his manner, with my accent and his accent, with my background and his background. He was a great public hero, and anything I did that someone didn’t approve of, they would always feel that President Kennedy wouldn’t have done that.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)