To Shorto, the Dutch influence on New York, especially its democratic ideals, is underestimated. Drawing from recently translated letters, ledgers, and accounts from the New Amsterdam colony, Shorto argues that the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam-prior to being conquered by England and joined with New York-is much more significant to modern-day Manhattan and American history than previously realized. It focuses on individuals and their struggles in order to convey larger historical details about the development of American society. The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto, published in 2004, is a narrative social history of Manhattan’s founding.
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