Knickerbocker's History of New York

Washington Irving's comic history of New Amsterdam turns colonial rule into a mock-epic farce, where governors, settlers, and rival powers all strut through a world of vanity, bluster, and absurdly serious public drama. From William Kieft's anti-tobacco edict and the resulting Long Pipe, Short Pipe, and Quid factions to Peter Stuyvesant's hard-headed reign, the story lampoons politics as noisy tribal conflict, fueled by petitions, speeches, gossip, and grievance. Along the way, territorial expansion sparks clashes with Native peoples, Swedish claims on the Delaware, and frontier embarrassments that expose the colony's weaknesses. Irving heightens the comedy with legendary river lore, ridiculous banners, and a parade of Dutch-descended families mocked for their inherited habits and quirks. As Stuyvesant gathers his forces and dreams of striking back at Fort Casimir, New Amsterdam becomes a stage for civic pageantry, rumor, and rivalry. The tale builds toward the final British takeover, closing with a witty reflection on heroism, folly, and the fate of small colonies undone by pride and imperial pressure. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.