Excitable Media: Old Wall: Wall Street Wall

When Governor Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam in 1647, panting and monopedic, his first act was to enforce strict smuggling laws. His second act was to pass harsh new anti-anti-smoking legislation that made it all but illegal to illegalize smoking in New Amsterdam establishments. His first two acts received a mixed reception, but given time people warmed to his dashing street demeanor, his cape, and his ruthless treatment of the lawless or wayward.

New Amsterdam was small, walled

In 1653 Stuyvesant's 492nd act was to persuade a few dozen New Amsterdam citizens to loan the colony money to build a new Northern wall, which promised to protect the Dutch merchants from the purportedly viscious Esopus, Canarsee and Hackensack. Each resident of New Amsterdam knew the colony was outnumbered and surrounded by native tribes, and many were feeling uneasy after recent hostilities like the 'Director Generals Quelling of 41' or the 'River Uprising of 1643.' The Governor felt a wall would provide ample security, and started collecting wall appropriation funds. Even old Abe Verplanck loaned Stuyvesant a small sum, although to this day it still hasn't been repayed.

The completed wall was made of 12-foot logs sharpened to a dull pencil-like point, and stretched a full half-mile from the Hudson to East rivers. The wall wasn't two years old before it was tested by the Indian Uprising of 1655, and late October of that year colonisits such as Christian Barendtse were hurriedly reinforcing the wall in the expectation of future engagement.

The Great Wall St. Uprising of 1929

If the New Amsterdamers were going to be anxious it shouldn't have been due to native restlessness, but rather the Eurpoean political wrangling. Later that year the Dutch Generals recruited citizens to sail South and engage the Finns on the Delaware river, which was all well and good until the British to the North started making a grand show of saber rattling. Some speculate that Stuveysant's wall wasn't meant for the Indians at all, but was meant to dissuade the British from occupying Dutch colonial property.

If that was the case it was an unfortunate bit of planning. In 1664 the British declared that had previously declared (when they planted their flag) all of the colonial coast to be British property. They promptly sent a fleet of ships into New Amsterdam harbor, where they had a nice view of the colony wall, and aimed their cannons at the Governor's house, blockading the colony. The terms of surrender were lenient, the prime demand being that the colony should change its name to "New York" in honor of the King's brother. They also demanded that everyone learn to speak English.

As the city grew quickly and native unrest was quelled violently, the wall became an anachronistic nusciance and was gradually removed. The last remnant rampart was torn down in 1698.