=Suggested Readings.= PILGRIMS AND PURITANS: Pumphrey, _Pilgrim Stories_; Warren, _The Little Pioneers_; Hart, _Colonial Children_, 136-140, 177-182; Glascock, _Stories of Columbia_, 69-81; Pratt, _Early Colonies_, 113-123; Drake, _Making of New England_, 67-87, 149-186; Hart, _Source Book_, 45-48; Higginson, _American Explorers_, 341-361. JOHN ELIOT: Tappan, _American Hero Stories_, 59-72, 84-96. THE MEN WHO PLANTED COLONIES FOR MANY KINDS OF PEOPLE PETER STUYVESANT, THE GREAT DUTCH GOVERNOR [Sidenote: =Young Peter Stuyvesant=] =52. Peter Stuyvesant.= This sturdy son of Holland was born at a time when his country was fighting hard against Spain for independence. His father was a minister, who, it may be supposed, brought up young Peter after the strict manner common to Dutch boys. Peter early began to study Latin. He was vain of his knowledge, and later took pride in showing it off to the settlers of New Amsterdam. [Illustration: THE DUTCH SETTLEMENTS] [Sidenote: =Becomes a soldier=] When he left school young Peter joined the army. He found plenty of hard work; but he performed his duties as a soldier more quickly and better than some of his comrades, and before many years was given command over a Dutch colony in the West Indies. [Sidenote: =Goes to New Netherland=] In an attack on a Portuguese fort Stuyvesant lost a leg and had to return to Holland. As soon as he was well the Dutch West India Company sent him to New Netherland (1647) to save that colony from the Indians. [Illustration: PETER STUYVESANT _From a seventeenth-century portrait at present in the collection of the New York Historical Society_] [Sidenote: =What Stuyvesant said to the settlers=] The arrival of Stuyvesant, with his little army and fleet of four vessels, brought great joy to the discouraged settlers and fur traders. He said to the people: "I shall reign over you as a father over his children." But he ruled the colony far more like a king than a father. He was not only commander in chief of the army, but was also lawmaker, judge, and governor, all in one. [Sidenote: =Strict order in New Amsterdam=] The new laws made by Stuyvesant showed that he intended to keep order in the colony. He forbade Sabbath-breaking, drunkenness, the sale of drink to the Indians or to any one else after the nine o'clock bell had rung. He ordered the owners of all vacant lots in New Amsterdam to improve them, and tried to fix the location of all new buildings. He taxed traders, whether they shipped goods to Europe or brought goods into New Netherland. Stuyvesant did, indeed, restore order to the colony, but he stirred up the people until they demanded a voice in the government. He finally agreed that they might select nine of their wisest men to advise with him. They were called the council. He had no idea of following anybody's advice unless it agreed with his own notions, but the people had gained something. [Sidenote: =Stuyvesant and his neighbors=]