Fort Nassau (South)

  Fort Goede Hoop

  De Wal

  Fort Casimir

  Fort Altena

  Fort Wilhelmus   Fort Beversreede   Fort Nya Korsholm   De Rondout Settlements:   Noten Eylandt   New Amsterdam   Rensselaerswyck   New Haarlem   Noortwyck   Beverwijck   Wiltwyck   Bergen   Pavonia   Vriessendael   Achter Col   Vlissingen   Oude Dorpe   Colen Donck   Greenwich   Heemstede   Rustdorp   Gravesende   Breuckelen   New Amersfoort   Midwout   New Utrecht   Boswyck   Swaanendael   New Amstel   Nieuw Dorp The Patroon System Charter of Freedoms and Exemptions Directors of New Netherland: Cornelius Jacobsen May (1620-25) Willem Verhulst (1625-26) Peter Minuit (1626-32) Sebastiaen Jansen Krol (1632-33) Wouter van Twiller (1633-38) Willem Kieft (1638-47) Peter Stuyvesant (1647-64) People of New Netherland New Netherlander Twelve Men Eight Men Flushing Remonstrance The Flushing Remonstrance was a 1657 petition to Director-General of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant in which several citizens requested an exemption to his ban on Quaker worship. It is considered a precursor to the United States Constitution's provision on freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights. According to Kenneth T. Jackson the Flushing Remonstrance was remarkable for four reasons: it articulated a fundamental right that is as basic to American freedom as any other the authors backed up their words with actions by sending it to an official not known for tolerance they stood up for others and were articulating a principle that was of little discernible benefit to themselves and the language of the remonstrance is as beautiful as the sentiments they express.1 Contents 1 Events 2 Signers 3 Later history 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Events Flushing now in Queens New York was then part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Stuyvesant had formally banned the practice of all religions outside of the Dutch Reformed Church the established church of the Netherlands in the colony.2 In 1656 William Wickenden a Baptist minister from Rhode Island was arrested by Dutch colonial authorities jailed fined and exiled for baptizing Christians in Flushing. Many other similar incidents took place prior to the Remonstrance.3 The Flushing Remonstrance was signed on December 27 1657 by a group of English citizens who were affronted by persecution of Quakers and the religious policies of Stuyvesant.24 None of them were Quakers themselves.5 Four who signed were arrested by order of Stuyvesant. Two immediately recanted but the writer of the remonstrance Edward Hart and sheriff of Flushing Tobias Feake remained firm in their convictions. Both men were remanded to prison where they survived in isolation on rations of bread and water for over a month. After friends and family petitioned Stuyvesant on behalf of the elderly Hart the clerk was released on penalty of banishment. Feake held out for a few more weeks but eventually recanted and was pardoned after being fined and banned from holding public office. The town government of Flushing was removed and Dutch replacements were appointed by Stuyvesant. Subsequently John Bowne of the colony allowed Quakers to meet in his house. He was arrested in 1662 and brought before Stuyvesant. Unrepentant Bowne was sentenced to banishment to Holland though he was of English descent and spoke no Dutch. After several months in the foreign land Bowne petitioned the directors of the Dutch West India Company. After a month of deliberation the Dutch West India Company agreed to support Bowne and advised Stuyvesant by a letter (1663) that he was to end religious persecution in the colony. One year later in 1664 the colony fell to British control. Signers The 30 signers were: Nicolas Blackford George Clere Elias Doughtie Edward Farrington magistrate Tobias Feake sheriff Antonie Field Robert Field Sr. Robert Field Jr. John Foard Edward Griffine Edward Hart Nathaniel Hefferd Benjamin Hubbard John Mastine Michael Milner William Noble magistrate Nicholas Parsell William Pidgion Henry Semtell Richard Stocton John Store Edward Tarne William Thorne Sr. William Thorne Jr. John Townsend Henry Townsend Nathaniel Tue Micah Tue Phillip Udall George Wright Later history The earliest copy of the document dates also from 1657 as an official copy of the original but the original has been lost.4 The Queens Borough President's Office held a celebration of the 350th anniversary of the Remonstrance in 2007. Descendants of the signers Bowne Stuyvesant and the arresting officer were invited and in attendance and the original copy of the Remonstrance was brought down from the State Archives in Albany for display.4 See also Remonstrants References Jackson Kenneth T. (December 27 2007). "A Colony With a Conscience". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/opinion/27jackson.htmlr2&ex1199422800&encfbcbbb90ef4c23d&ei5070&emceta1.  a b Michael Peabody (November/December 2005). "The Flushing Remonstrance". Liberty Magazine. Archived from the original on December 4 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071204215137/http://www.libertymagazine.org/article/articleview/532/1/86/.  A History of the Baptists by Thomas Armitage a b c Glenn Collins (December 5 2007). "Precursor of the Constitution Goes on Display in Queens". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/nyregion/05remonstrance.html.  Jackson Kenneth T. (December 27 2007). "A Colony With a Conscience". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/opinion/27jackson.htmlr2&ex1199422800&encfbcbbb90ef4c23d&ei5070&emceta1.  External links Text of Flushing Remonstrance and information Flushing Remonstrance John Bowne house and historical material