Although September 11 in New York City will always have a connotation of tragedy, there was another significant event that happened on September 11, exactly 400 years ago today. At one o'clock in the afternoon on September 11, 1609, Henry Hudson pulled up his anchor and set sail up the Hudson river very near where this photo was taken. The aftermath of this event has giant implications. It began the period of colonization of Dutch settlers (including what would be New York City and Albany). It also began the destruction and forced migration of tens of thousands of natives living along the river. (Canon 5D Mark II; 1/16oo @ f/22; ISO 1250)
From the journal of hudson’s mate Robert Juet,
“The eleuenth, was faire and very hot weather. At one of the clocke in the after-noone, wee
weighed and went into the Riuer, the wind at South South-west, little winde. Our soundings
were seuen, sixe, fiue, sixe, seuen, eight, nine, ten, twelue, thirteene, and fourteene fathomes.
Then it shoalded againe, and came to fiue fathomes. Then wee Anchored, and saw that it was a
very good Harbour for all windes, and rode all night. The people of the Countrey came aboord
of vs, making shew of loue, and gaue vs Tabacco and Indian Wheat and departed for that night;
but we durst not trust them.”
