The New Amsterdam History Center’s On-line Exhibition is a 3D digital model that presents information and theories about how New Amsterdam appeared in the period prior to 1664, when it was the “capital” of New Netherland. New Amsterdam, now Manhattan, with an ice-free harbor and a central location along the coast of North America situated at the mouth of the Hudson and Mohawk river systems, had a vital influence on the development of New Netherland. The 3D Model uses knowledge that has been collected by many scholars about the settlement. It is an attempt to reconstruct digitally the topography, infrastructure (streets, bridges, walls, windmills, docks, ditches), and individual buildings, gardens, plants, animals and fort as they may have looked in 1660. The digital model is available on Google Earth for the world to view. It highlights topics such as native peoples, slavery, the Dutch West India Company, food and drink, daily life, people and their families, trade and occupations, the local economy, and conflicts of the time. Data are presented in both the 3D model and a linked database. Users can learn about the built form, natural features, the people, and their material culture. The digital model can easily be updated with new information, such as archaeological discovery. The exhibit is offered to educational institutions who wish to integrate the digital model into classroom use, as well as to the general public, who wish to imagine and discover New Amsterdam.

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