How Dutch are Americans?

[Östsvensk]

New York was originally named New Amsterdam. How influential were the Dutch in the founding of the US? Do Old Stock Americans have significant Dutch ancestry and if so, how much?

[Hajimurad]

Dutch never been so influential in USA as British or Spaniards, but they did several things, crucial for USA: they founded New York and settled Van Buren and Roosevelt families.

[sean]

The Netherlands secretly gave arms and munition to the colonies during the American Revolution under the nose of Britain, they were sadly caught. They then proceeded to go to war with Britain during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War. They are the second European nation to recognise the United States (first being France).

The Netherlands however harboured the Puritans from persecution before they sailed off to the colonies. In hindsight, protecting the future of the United States. Wall Street was actually built by Dutch Governor General Stuyvesant to defend the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, should the British Crown decide to move against it.

Most early Americans were Protestant Scots, English (Anglo-Saxons) and Dutch (Frisians).

[Smitty]

I think a good few colonial Americans have a bit of Dutch ancestry, though we're talking very distant admixtures for the majority. I never heard of any in my family, but after researching my family tree, I found a likely connection to the Van Meter family of New Netherland, and many colonials have similar stories. Due to inbreeding, it amounts to maybe a percent or two for me.

There are, however, colonials with more Dutch ancestry than anything else, such as Lee Van Cleef (http://ethnicelebs.com/lee-van-cleef). I expect they're mostly located in New York and New Jersey. Additionally, you have the heavy Dutch settlement in Michigan. Most of this is recent, and their influence is significant there.

[Dna8]

Whenever a New Yorker mentions a stoop they are referencing the Dutch.

[Daco Celtic]

They are very American, from the colonial era.

The Protestant Establishment Revisited By E. Digby Baltzell

[Smitty]

George Washington was 1/8 Dutch, and we had an obviously Dutch president as early as Martin Van Buren in the 1830s.

[Rico33]

How American are Dutch ?

[FinalFlash]

My Econ professor in college was a Dutch-American named Prenthe and he was roughly 13 and a half feet tall.

[Oneeye]

Yes