Fort Nassau (North River)

Fort Nassau
Part of New Netherland
Albany, New York
Type	Fort
Site history
Built	1614
Built by	Hendrick Christiaensen
Materials	Wooden structure surrounded by earthenworks
Demolished	1618
Events	First Dutch fort in North America
Garrison information
Past commanders	Jacob Eelkens
Garrison	10 or 12 men
Occupants	Dutch traders and soldiers

Fort Nassau (a.k.a. Fort van Nassouwen) was the first Dutch settlement in North America, located beside the "North River" (the modern Hudson) within present-day Albany, New York, in the United States. The factorij was a small fortification which served as a trading post and warehouse.

Henry Hudson explored what would be known as the Hudson River for the Dutch in 1609, including Castle Island which was at the center of Native American fur trading routes from the interior.Hendrick Christiaensen chose Castle Island to build Fort Nassau, in 1614 or 1615 as a dual warehouse and military defense structure and named the fort in honor of the stadtholder of the United Netherlands, who was of the House of Orange-Nassau. Christiaensen built on the remains of a 1540 French fur traders' fort or store house. This was the first Dutch settlement in North America. Jacob Eelkens became commander on Christiaensen's death in 1616.

In 1617 a freshet damaged the fort to such an extent that it was abandoned and rebuilt on more secure ground at the mouth of the Normans Kill (called the Tawasentha by the natives) with the Hudson River. This new fortification was built by Eelkens on a prominence called Tawass-gunshee by the natives. Once the new fort was completed, the Dutch completed their first treaty with natives of North America. In 1618 a freshet destroyed the new fort, and it was abandoned for good.

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