Parallel Cities

On 2 February 1653 Nieuw Amsterdam installed its first court on Manhattan Island. This court was granted by the commercial authorities of 'old' Amsterdam and marked the beginning of Nieuw Amsterdam as a separate community. From that date on a tale of two cities can be told. Durable commercial networks and close ecclesiastical ties kept the exchange between the two cities going even after the end of Dutch rule in 1664. Until the early 1800s Amsterdam was the dominant factor, overshadowing New York in size, prestige, wealth, and power. The balance between the two cities was gradually reversed in the nineteenth century, when immigration boosted New York while Amsterdam's population growth stalled. This collection of essays deals with the political, commercial, religious, and intellectual relationship of two leading cities. It explores the interaction of merchants and ministers, books and bankers, consuls and canticles, trees and travelers through the high and low tides of this durable urban exchange.Harinck, George is the author of 'Parallel Cities', published 2005 under ISBN 9789053839553 and ISBN 9053839550.