On 1 June 2021, the Netherlands-America Foundation in New York and the RIAS teamed up to jointly host a 1-hour webinar on Dutch slave resistance in New York.
From its initial conquest in the early 17th century, Dutch settlers in New Netherland adopted African slavery as an instrument of colonization and economic development. Even after the English established control of the colony in 1664, however, Dutch-speaking settlers remained important slaveholders in New York well into the 18th and even 19th centuries. Dutch-owned (and often Dutch-speaking) enslaved people were indeed some of the most prominent agents of resistance to slavery in New York history. From runaways and self-emancipators to instigators of the 1741 New York uprising and even prominent abolitionists such as Sojourner Truth, Dutch-owned enslaved people played a visible role in challenging slavery throughout the state.
The event was moderated by the esteemed American writer and historian, and former director of the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam, Russell Shorto, and included a panel with three prominent historians: Michael Douma (Georgetown University), Margaret Washington (Cornell University), and Andrea Mosterman (University of New Orleans). The event was broadcasted simultaneously to both Dutch and American audiences. A recording of the webinar is available at the RIAS Youtube Channel.