Birth of a City: Nieuw Amsterdam & Old New York

THE WALL
Location: Wall Street
Dutch Name: Langs de Wal

Here, in 1653, Nieuw Amsterdam's settlers built a wall running from the Hudson River to the East River to defend their town against attack. They feared invasion by England and her New England colonists. Later, they also worried about raids by Lenape Indians. Townsmen armed themselves and formed a militia to patrol the wall and guard their homes.

The wood-planked wall stood 9 feet high, and allowed soldiers to fire at invaders attacking from the northern countryside (today's uptown). Two bastions were later topped with cannon to hold enemies at bay. Two gates, one here at De Heere Straet (Broadway) and one on the East River shore (Pearle Street), enabled settlers to enter and leave the town.

The street running along the wall's south side was called Langs de Wal (Along the Wall). The wall stood until 1699, long after the English conquest of 1664. By its final years, the wall had fallen into disrepair, and townspeople had stripped it of many planks to use as firewood. Langs de Wal took a new name: Wall Street.

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New York State Society of the Cincinnati

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