Henry Hudson Anniversary

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in the land that would become New York. To personally commemorate the occasion, I have put out an illustrated e-pamphlet titled “Broken Chain: How the White and Indian Worlds Remembered Henry Hudson and the Dutch,” available for free download as a PDF.

Two powerful tribes greeted the Dutch around Albany, the Mohicans and the Mohawks. Each retained legends of their early encounters, spread across generations by orators wielding belts of sewant that preserved the memories of the tribes. Combining Dutch records with Indian legends passed to the white men through conferences with colonial authorities and missionaries who lived among the Indians, Broken Chain presents three perspectives on the Covenant Chain, the supposed peace to which the Dutch, Mohicans and Mohawks agreed.

Download Broken Chain free at www.BillsBrownstone.com/brokenchain.pdf.

Bill Greer
Author of The Mevrouw Who Saved Manhattan, a novel of New Amsterdam

Bill,

Thanks for the URL. Interesting reading.

Do you know of a site that has an up-to-date schedule for Quadricentennial events, in NYC & elsewhere along the Hudson?

This is the official 400th anniversary site.

For quadricentennial events throughout the Hudson Valley, try NY400.org. It has quite a few features and an events calendar.

Also ExploreNY400.com has an events calendar under Things to Do. I think the two sites are using the same events database.

In NYC, Bowling Green will be transformed into a New Amsterdam village from Sept. 5 to 15, and Governor’s Island will host a Dutch festival from Sept. 10 to 20.

Bill

rebeccanyc & billgreer,

Thanks for the info. I'm hoping to get to NY in September, and wondered what might be planned for then.

And billgreer, your book has been added to my wishlist; even if you do seem to have left my ancestors out of the plot. :-)

Staten Island OutLOUD will be hosting a reading. The event is participatory--members of the audience are invited to read (but you can decline if you're shy). I've attended some of their other events and they are lots of fun.

Sunday, September 20, 3pm
Henry Hudson and the Half Moon
Fort Wadsworth, Bay Street & School Road (near the Verrazano Bridge)

September 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage into New York Harbor, and up the river that now bears his name. Join us to read from the journal of one of Henry Hudson’s crew, recounting their historic voyage 400 years ago. We'll also explore the history of his final, and fatal voyage, plus some other intriguing historical materials. BRING A LAWNCHAIR!

Their website is http://statenislandoutloud.org/upcomingevents.aspx

For you off-Islanders, take the Ferry to SI, then the 51 bus to Bay Street near School Road and enter Fort Wadsworth through the gate.