Dutch Americans
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
4,500,000 1.5% of the U.S. population (2013) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| West Coast, Northeast, New York, New Jersey, Midwest especially in Iowa, Michigan | |
| Languages | |
| American English, Dutch | |
| Religion | |
| 64% Protestant; 10% Roman Catholic, 15% other | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dutch people, Dutch Brazilians, Dutch Canadians, Dutch Surinamese, Afrikaner, German Americans, Austrian Americans, Pennsylvania Dutch, Swiss Americans, Belgian Americans |
| Year | Population |
| 1910 | 126,045 |
| 1920 | 136,540 |
| 1930 | 133,142 |
| 1940 | 102,700 |
| 1960 | 130,482 |
| 1970 | 127,834 |
Dutch Americans are Americans of Dutch descent whose ancestors came from The Netherlands in the recent or distant past. Whether intentional or not, they usually maintain connections with their Dutch heritage, by having, for example, a Dutch surname or belonging to a Dutch community group. Dutch settlement in the Americas started in 1613 with New Amsterdam, which was exchanged with the British for the current Suriname at the treaty of Breda (1667) and renamed New York City. The British split the Dutch colony of New Netherlands into two pieces, and named them New York and New Jersey. Further waves of immigration occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries.
According to the 2013 American Community Survey, an estimated 4.5 million Americans claim total or partial Dutch heritage. Today the majority of the Dutch Americans live in Michigan, California, Montana, Minnesota, New York, Wisconsin, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
In 1602, the Dutch government chartered the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC). It sent explorers under the command of Henry Hudson who arrived in 1609 and mapped what is now known as the Hudson River. Their initial goal was to find an alternative route to Asia, but they found good farmland and plenty of wildlife instead.
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Wikipedia