85 Swierenga, unpublished book 16
CHAPTER 3 The nature of the Dutch‐American seeds
‘Zoo is dus, in minder dan veertig jaren, uit eene wildernis, eene beschaafde maatschappij als geboren geworden, die voor geene andere behoeft te wijken. Landbouw en veeteelt, handel en nijverheid, kerk en school bloeien, en gaan nog steeds vooruit.’171
Dingman Versteeg writes how the Dutch colony evolved from a primitive dwelling in the forest to an industrious and prosperous town. After 40 years the settlement is a mature Dutch‐American community with a college, schools, numerous churches, connections to nearby towns, a harbor and industry. In the first chapter I described how factors in American society and politics, in other words: the nature of the soil, influenced the success of the Dutch settlement. Now it is time to discuss the character of the seeds that were planted in the American soil. I will highlight significant elements that made the Dutch immigration experience unique and aided their gradual assimilation in American society.
I will start with explaining how the similarity between the Dutch religious nature and the original Puritans is essential to their fluent acceptance into American society. The Dutch‐ American historian Dingman Versteeg wrote the first overview of the history of the Dutch migration: Pelgrim‐Vaders van het Westen (Pilgrim Fathers of the West). He describes the early struggles of the Dutch in the wilderness and compares them to the Pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony in New England. Like the Dutch they established their colony according to religious principles that were threatened in England. After spending a few years in exile in Leiden the Pilgrims decided to undertake the journey to the New World. Most historians agree that the Plymouth colony laid the foundation for American democracy and religious freedom: These were the intrinsic qualities that lured many immigrants to the United States in the following centuries. The similarities between the White Anglo‐Saxon Protestants who dominated American culture and the Dutch Protestant Seceders gave the Dutch a significant advantage in their assimilation process. The sense of a shared history made the Dutch align with the native‐born in the area both culturally and religiously. Even before the Pilgrims landed on American shores the Dutch had established the New Netherlands and the coastal town of New Amsterdam, which later became New York. The Dutch set up religious and cultural institutions in the Dutch‐American towns along the
171 Dingman Versteeg, De pelgrim‐vaders van het westen: eene geschiedenis van de worstelingen der
Hollandsche nederzettingen in Michigan, benevens eene schets van de stichting der kolonie Pella in Iowa (Grand Rapids: C.M. Loomis, 1886), 9.
Hudson River. The presence of the Old Dutch in America gave the Dutch an ethnic and religious mold to fit into in the mid‐nineteenth century. The aid of the Old Dutch gave them the opportunity to promote chain‐migration in order to provide a steady flow of newcomers to settle amongst the Dutch in the colonies and Dutch neighborhoods in nearby towns. This helped preserve the Dutch culture but also caused conflict in the assimilation process. The Dutch Pilgrims of the West ‘This is the work of my countrymen, who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted
by a variety of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy and what substance they possess.’172
John Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur writes in Letters of an American Farmer about the thoughts of the Englishman who encountered American settlements built by his countrymen. These thoughts could also appear in the Dutchman’s mind when he disembarked on American shores in the 19th‐century. The shared history with the British in the colonial era made the Dutch who undertook the journey to America feel related. According to Hans Krabbendam in his article ‘The Return of Regionalism’, the Dutch saw themselves as ‘real Americans’ as their forefathers co‐founded the Republic.173 The similarities and differences between the character of the native‐born and a group of immigrants are important factors for the success of Americanization. Although seen as hard‐ working and industrious, German customs of drinking and dancing during Sabbath were despised by a fair share of native‐born Americans; Irish Catholics were generally poor and unskilled and were often seen as puppets from the Pope, who was trying to get a grip in the New World; Norwegians had a similar immigration experience as the Dutch since their national character was close to that of the native‐born American, but were considered clannish.174 Although the immigration experiences of these ethnic groups were more diverse
172 J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur,. Letters from an American Farmer and Sketches of Eighteenth‐Century America, edited by Albert E. Stone (New York: Penguin Classics, 1981), 66. 173 Hans Krabbendam, ‘ The Return of Regionalism: The Importance of Immigration to the Plains for the History of the Dutch in America’ in: Dutch Immigrants on the Plains, edited by Paul Fessler, Hubert R. Krygsman and Robert P. Swierenga (Dordt College: The Association for the Advancement of Dutch‐American Studies, Fifteenth Biennial Conference Paper, 2005), 7. 174 Frank J. Coppa and Thomas J. Curran, The Immigrant Experience in America (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1976), 55‐56, 67‐70.
and complex as summed up here, the way an ethnic group relates to the character and customs of the native‐born American is significant for the success and rate of assimilation.
It is generally accepted that Yankee culture derived from the Puritans who founded the Plymouth colony. Werner Sollors describes a number of theorists who tried to answer the question why Puritanism has become such an important part of the American character, while the Puritans were only a limited group in colonial America. According to the theorists the American religious nature is not imposed on newcomers, the sheer act of uprooting, migration, settlement and community building were puritanizing experiences. Immigrants who traveled to the United States in any century focused on the future instead of holding onto old identities and customs.175 The focus towards the future without looking back also resembles Van Raalte’s attitude towards Americanization. He promoted Americanization and was eager to participate in American society. He wanted the Dutch to learn English and acquire American customs but also wanted to retain the Dutch culture and heritage. His stance towards Americanization is called: Americanization without absorption.176 Not all immigrants who settled in the Dutch colonies in Western Michigan or in the Dutch neighborhoods in American towns shared his views on Americanization. This will become evident in the conflicts described in the next chapter. Sollors thinks the theory of the voyage as a puritanizing experience denies cultural heritage from the Old World as he feels that is still an important factor. I also believe it resembles the too romantic Turnerian vision of the frontier that shapes character. The Dutch colonies were set up with a distinct religious character according to beliefs shaped in the Old World.
In Morsels in the Melting Pot, numerous authors explore the Dutch ethnic stock and how they fared in American Society. An enlightening article is written by Peter Ester, he explores the importance of social capital in the persistence of the Dutch identity and the (relative) success of many Dutch communities. Social capital consists of a shared Dutch language, common Dutch origins, common practices and Dutch in‐group marriages.177 Their social capital gave the Dutch a strong sense of community, more than other immigrant groups, although Ester acknowledges that further research is needed to prove this.178 The Dutch
175 Werner Sollors, Beyond Ethnicity: Consent and Descent in American Culture (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 54‐56. 176 Jeanne M. Jacobson, Elton J. Bruins and Larry J. Wagenaar, Albertus C. Van Raalte: Dutch Leader And American Patriot (Holland: Hope College, 1996), 64. 177 Peter Ester, ‘Still Bowling Together: Social Capital of Dutch Protestant Immigrant Groups in North America’ in: Morsels in the Melting Pot: The Persistence of Dutch Immigrant Communities in North America, edited by George Harinck and Hans Krabbendam, European Contributions to American Studies, nr. 64 (Amsterdam: VU University Press, 2006), 25. 178 Ibid, 27‐28.
settled in isolation or amongst their own in surrounding towns. This ethnic group, bound together by the Dutch Protestant churches and their strong leaders, thought they fit in perfectly with the White Anglo‐Saxon Protestant (WASP) identity. According to Charles Anderson in White Protestant Americans, the Dutch belonged to the ethnic group of white Protestants along with the British, Scandinavians and Germans because their European religious origins are the same.179 Germany was the only country of origin that also contained a large portion of Catholics among the immigrants.180
It is interesting how often the Dutch are compared to the Pilgrim Fathers who founded the Plymouth colony in 1620. Jacob van Hinte paints a romantic picture of the Dutch pioneers and places them at the same height as the pioneers in New England two centuries earlier. He confirms the similarities between the Dutch and the Puritans: ‘They were Christians who came from similar social and spiritual backgrounds and likewise were transplanted into similar environments.’181 The local newspaper of the Holland colony, De
Hollander, also argues the relationship between the Dutch and the Puritans. In the article
the author claims that the Pilgrim Fathers were merely bad imitators of the manner that already existed in the Netherlands. The Englishman should have more notion of the history of the Netherlands since they have similar commercial pursuits, similar habits and language, and similar institutions and government. The mutual relationship sketched is striking: ‘From England the light of Christian religion first shone on Holland; from Holland, England imbibed her first ideas of civil liberty and commerce; with the Netherlands she made her first commercial treaty; (…) side by side they have struggled against the tyranny of Spain.’ The author quotes various historians to compare the Dutch with the English ethnic stock.182
Engbertus van der Veen writes in his memoirs that in the city of Holland there was the spirit of the Massachusetts Pilgrims. There was also a strict discipline in the colony and during Sunday services. Van der Veen compares Dutch discipline to the Blue Laws of Connecticut: Harsh laws concerning the behavior in the colony with severe punishment when breached. As an example of the severity of the rules he mentions the arrival of a circus and how it was considered a sin to watch the show: the Dutch were shocked by the foul
179 Charles H. Anderson, White Protestant Americans: From National Origins to Religious Group (New Jersey: Prentice‐Hall, 1970), xiv.
180 Ibid, 79.
181 Jacob van Hinte, Netherlanders in America: A Study of Emigration and Settlement in the 19th and 20th Centuries in the United States of America, edited by Robert P. Swierenga, translated by Adriaan de Wit (Grand Rapids:
Bakers Book House, 1985), 260.
language the circus men used.183 By referring to the early years of colonial America, when the foundations for the American character were laid, shows that the Dutch felt a connection with the Anglo‐Saxon Protestant nature of the native‐born and the early settlers of New England.
The New England dominance in Michigan was essential for the successful settlement of the Dutch, as they had similar religious principles. There were hardly any people migrating from the South and the percentage of foreign‐born inhabitants in Michigan was small in comparison to other states in the Midwest. The population consisted mostly of Protestants with a Puritan heritage.184 Frederick Jackson Turner claims in his article ‘Dominant Forces in Western Life’ that Michigan was a sister of the Empire State as the vast majority of the settlers were New Yorkers.185 In the pamphlet published prior to their departure, Albertus van Raalte and Anthony Brummelkamp stated they wanted to settle in the United States because their culture was similar to the culture of the Americans: They could settle among the English, Germans and Dutch. Immigration to Java, the Dutch colony in the Dutch East Indies, was not an option because they would not be welcome there as Christians or as Dutch.186 Three letters of earlier Dutch immigrants who described the religious nature in America accompany the pamphlet of Van Raalte and Brummelkamp. A farmer who settled in Wisconsin writes that one is free to worship any faith and, as far as he has seen, the faith of the Seceder is the most prominent. ‘Most Americans are true believers and true servants of Christ. They do not look back and only pursue the future.’187 In the Christian Intelligencer the Reformed Church in America also acknowledges the long relationship between the English and the Dutch as they battled side by side for religious and cultural matters against Spain. The Dutch gave asylum to the Puritans and aided in the settlement of the most important state of the United States. The Old Dutch praise the Dutch immigrants for their enterprise, integrity, love of country, and their faith and freedom.188 By acknowledging the similarities
183 Van der Veen, ‘Life Reminiscences’, 504. 184 Dunbar, Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State, 256. 185 Frederick Jackson Turner, ‘Dominant Forces in Western Life’, in The frontier in American History (New York: Holt and Company), 227. 186 Anthony Brummelkamp and Albertus van Raalte, Landverhuizing, of Waarom Bevorderen Wij Landverhuizing en Wel Naar Noord‐Amerika en Niet Naar Java? (Amsterdam: Hoogkamer & Comp., 1846), 16. 187 Ibid, 42. Translation: Alle Godsdiensten zijn hier vrij, doch daar vele Godsdiensten, en voor zoo ver wij het hebben bevonden, is de Afgescheidene de voornaamste. Ook hebben wij bevonden, dat velen ware aanbidders zijn, die nalaten hetgeen achter is, en najagen wat voor is, als ware dienaars van Christus. 188 Christian Intelligencer, February 11, 1847. In Dutch Immigrant Memoirs and Related Writings, edited by Henry S. Lucas, revised edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), 32.
between the Dutch and the American and their shared history they justify the choice of the United States as the place to settle. The Dutch Reformed Church in America Being similar to Yankee stock meant a lack of serious religious and cultural conflict with the native‐born in America, although the Dutch still struggled with questions of Americanization within their own community. A way to overcome these struggles was to join an already existing denomination in America so they could count on support from well‐established Americans. Prior to their transatlantic journey the Dutch immigration leaders had to decide how to cope with the immigration to an unknown continent. They sent a number of people to the United States to scout for areas of settlement and report back to the Netherlands by letter.189 In the Netherlands the Dutch ministers who led the immigration movement established the ‘Society for Christians for the Emigration of Hollanders to the United States of North America’. This society laid the foundation for the immigration movement and made it possible for people who lacked funds to move to the United States as well.190 Because of the religious nature of the movement it was no surprise the society called upon religious organizations in North America for support. Before moving to America, Anthony Brummelkamp and Albertus van Raalte, wrote a letter calling for Americans of the same religious nature to support their immigration efforts. The letter fell into the hands of Isaac Wyckoff, who was a preacher of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) in Albany, New York. Thomas de Witt, a RCA minister, subsequently published an English translation of the letter in the Christian Intelligencer, the RCA weekly.191 In the letter they refer to the dire economic circumstances, high taxes to compensate the state debt and repressive measures that restrict the Seceders from worshipping without state interference. They appeal to their Christian brothers in the United States to help them acquire a piece of unsettled land. They welcome the opportunities of the New World and want to set up Christian schools and institutions.192 Wyckoff initiated ‘The Protestant Evangelical Holland Immigration Society’, to search for a suitable location for a Dutch colony in the West.193 The society would also protect the immigrants from frauds and swindlers along the route to their destination.
189 Van Hinte, Netherlanders in America, 130. 190 Ibid, 123‐124. 191 Ibid, 130‐131. 192 Albertus van Raalte and Anthony Brummelkamp, ‘Appeal to the faithful in the United States in North America,’ May 25, 1846. Translated by Thomas De Witt. In Immigrant Memoirs and Related Writings, edited by Henry S. Lucas, revised edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), 14‐20. 193 Van Hinte, Netherlanders in America, 131.
Agents charged three or four times the price for a bed in a boarding house and sold expensive train or steamer tickets for the trip west; The forwarding houses in cities farther west also contained many swindlers who tried to rip the immigrants off.194 With the help of the articles about the Dutch immigration in the Christian Intelligencer published in Dutch
Immigrant Memoirs and Related Writings by Henry S. Lucas, I can reconstruct the nature and
impact of the aid by the RCA.
Van Raalte and Brummelkamp received a positive response and the Old Dutch of the RCA helped them all the way to their destination: Michigan. In the Christian Intelligencer members of the RCA offered their help, not necessarily with money, but with advice and labor. A certain S. offers them farmland, employment and other aid. He welcomes his ‘fellow Dutch’ to settle in Illinois.195 Funds were also donated, readers were called to help the Dutch and give them employment in the cities where they would spend the first winter before they could continue to their final destination.196 Disembarking The Southerner in New York, Thomas De Witt welcomed the first immigrants ashore; Isaac Wyckoff was waiting in Albany, which they subsequently reached by steamboat. The journey continued by railroad to Buffalo, then to Detroit and finally to Kalamazoo by train, or to the mouth of Lake Macatawa by ship via the Great Lakes.197 On February 11, 1847 it is reported in the Christian
Intelligencer that the RCA appointed committees of people in every city along the route to
Michigan to point the Dutch immigrants to the next waypoint on their journey until they reached their final destination.198 When members of the RCA donated funds their names were published in the next edition of the weekly. These funds were directed to Van Raalte to help him buy land and build the first log cabins. Members of the RCA took care of the sick, helped the destitute and those who arrived in good circumstances were given advice.199 A bond between the RCA and the Dutch Seceders was established to benefit both parties. The RCA was stagnant in numbers and they acknowledged they had failed to gain a foothold in the West. Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist churches flourished in the West and appealed to Yankees as well as other ethnic groups. The RCA saw the prospected arrival of thousands of Dutch immigrants