The last Dutch outpost: The enduring legacy of New Netherland

Quackenbush House
The Quackenbush House, a Dutch Colonial brick mansion in Albany, New York, c. 1736 (© WikiCommons/Matt Wade)

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a minor military skirmish in a remote corner of the colonial New World snowballed into what some have described as a world war. One of the casualties was the Dutch culture of the town of Albany in New York State, previously New Netherland. So, what happened to the Dutch of Dutch Albany? Although there are few physical remains from the Dutch colonial period, a modern revival of interest seems to be gathering steam. Laura Durnford visits some historic sites in Albany and hears about the tenacious tradition of Dutch culture there.

Producer: Laura Durnford

Broadcast: July 1, 2004