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In the first place he discovered the region while sailing under the command of the Dutch West India Company (West-Indische Compagnie), one of the first stock-exchanged companies in the world. The settlement of New Amsterdam (which became known as New York City when the English gained control over the area after the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War) was originally set up as a trading post for beaver-skins. When other countries in Europe started to colonize the America's, the Dutch could not stay behind and started settling as well. But that is another story.

Long story short; he claimed the area scoping for suitable ports for the West India Company. The area was later handed over to the Dutch government, in exchange for tax exemptions and investments in the financially unstable company.

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13y ago

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