Stuyvesant, Peter

sti've-sant, Peter (1602-1682), a Dutch governor of the New Netherlands. He was a soldier by profession. He lost one leg in an attack on a Portuguese island in the West Indies. In 1644 he was sent by the Dutch government to New Amsterdam, now New York, to succeed William Kieft, under whose management affairs had fallen into disorder. This one-legged governor stumped about with energy and made short work of disturbers. He punished the troublesome Indians and arranged a boundary between New Netherlands and Connecticut. In 1655, with an army of 700 men, he sailed up the Delaware and subdued the Swedes who had settled there. Malcontents at home soon found that the sturdy old soldier was their master. Nearly ten years of quiet and prosperity followed. In 1664 an English fleet appeared in the harbor, and Stuyvesant was obliged to surrender to the English, who changed the name of the town and province to New York. The old governor went to Holland, but soon returned to live under the flag of England. He ended his days on his farm, now a part of New York City. He gave his place a Dutch name, which has survived in the Bowery, a street near Castle Garden. Stuyvesant was buried in the old church of St. Mark's. He is the chief character in Irving's half comic, half earnest Knickerbocker's History of New York.