Dec 26, 2009

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | Historical Context

The Dutch in New York
In its earliest days as an outpost for Europeans, New York was settled by the Dutch, or people from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Henry Hudson, referred to in ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' as ‘‘Master Hendrick Hudson,’’ sailed in 1609 from present-day New York City to Albany, up what the Dutch called the Tappan Zee, and what is now called the Hudson River; the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York City commemorates this today. Hudson was British by birth, but was working for the Dutch East India Company, and after his explorations the Netherlands...