He’s credited for generating a new awareness of the Dutch role in U.S. We are not the only ones who loved Shorto’s book. He brings wit and humor to a subject often relegated to dull high school history classes and it is clear that his research is thorough.
Short’s writing style, turning centuries-old history into a narrative thriller, makes the book hard to put down. It isn’t just the unearthed history that makes The Island at the Center of the World so compelling. Shorto argues it was the tolerant Dutch who laid the groundwork for immigrant culture, creating the first melting pot of free trade, acceptance, and a society where dozens of languages were spoken ‘Manhattan is where America began,’ he writes. Shorto’s central premise is that, contrary to popular belief, it was the Dutch, rather than the English, who laid the foundation for America, via their small, hardscrabble landholding known as New Netherlands.
Both men will have a last impact on the island that becomes known as Manhattan. You meet Adriaen van der Donck, a young lawyer who is at odds with the director of the Dutch colony, Peter Stuyvesant. From there, Shorto draws you into a tale of politics, backstabbing, and a considerable number of untimely deaths. Published in 2004, The Island at the Center of the World starts with 17th-century English seaman Henry Hudson and his quest to find the mythical northwestern passage. American journalist Russell Shorto gives us the full picture in his accessible and riveting book, The Island at the Center of the World. But the tale is far more complicated and interesting than that. We all think we know the story of how the Dutch purchased a little island from Native Americans for 24 dollars and then traded it to the British for Suriname.
Gehring answered questions from members of the audience.A lot more than 60 guilders: The Island at the Center of the World October 1, 2022
He was joined by Charles Gehring who also discussed the New Netherland Project and the source materials. Russell Shorto explained the Dutch influence on the island, which included tolerance for racial diversity and an instinct for trade. The book revealed the history behind the Dutch founding of Manhattan three years after the Pilgrims landed at Cape Cod. T23:04:44-04:00 Author Russell Shorto discussed his book The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America, published by Doubleday.
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