manor. The man who brought colonists from Holland was called a patroon.
He was the Lord of the Manor.

He had supreme authority over his colonists, who cleared the land of
the trees, planted seeds, gathered the ripened grain, and raised cattle
which they gave to the Lord of the Manor as rent.

The little town of New Amsterdam was to continue as the seat of
government, and the Lords of the Manors were to act under the direction
of the Governor. The farms established by these patroons were to belong
to them and to their families after them.

The one thing that the patroons were not permitted to do was to collect
the furs of animals, for these were very valuable and the Company
claimed them all.

Before many years had passed there was much trouble with these patroons,
who did a great deal to make themselves rich, and very little for New
Netherland. They traded in furs, notwithstanding they were forbidden to
do so, and did all manner of things they should not have done.

Governor Minuit was himself accused of aiding the patroons to make money
at the expense of the West India Company, and of taking his share of
the profit; and finally, the Company ordered him to return to Holland.
The ship in which he sailed was wrecked on the coast of England, and
Minuit was detained and accused of unlawfully trading in the territory
of the King of England. This was not the first time that the English had
laid claim to the Dutch lands in America. Charles I. was king then, and
he said that England owned New Netherland because an English king, more
than a hundred years before Hudson's time, had sent John Cabot and his