Inquiry into New Netherland and material culture sources

[K.Andrzejewski]

I am wondering if anyone can recomend where I might look into the connection between the religious theology of colonial Dutch ceremonies and rituals, and any particular expressions of material culture associated with burial in New Netherland. For example, the care and clothing of the body, construction and details associated with the casket.

I am confident that I have access to the Dutch strands of Christian theology, but I am not sure if there are any sources for colonial Dutch theology. Are there any contacts with whom I could discuss cover relevant material culture?

I am writing an undergraduate history thesis (at the University of Dallas) on the colonial culture of New Netherland and its influence up to 1775 on the English colonies that would eventually become the United States. The three components of culture I'm looking into are religion, the home, and the economy. My thesis will examine the extent of the effects of the Dutch on the development colonial culture by highlighting material culture. I am indebted to James Deetz for a definition of material culture.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Howard]

Your topic is really very interesting. I am hopeful that you will receive some useful responses to your query. I did a little searching on the Internet and found some items that might be helpful to you. I must emphasize that I am not a historian.

A book review (http://tinyurl.com/36bvgr) of

"Religion and Trade in New Netherland: Dutch Origins and American Development" by George L. Smith
<Access to this site is restricted but you will have no problem as a bona fide student.>

I found this book (http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Babel-Confusion-Religion-Colonies/dp/0195152654)on Amazon.

Also on the New Netherland Institute web site if you enter "material culture" in the search box you will find a lot of information. I think the best items will be found in the documents with ABAF in the link. These are published papers from the Rensselaerswijk Seminars collected as "A Beautiful and Fruitful Place."

James Williams (http://www.mtsu.edu/~jhwillia/), a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, might be helpful.

Finally, if you use the Bibliographic Search (http://www.nnp.org/db/search.html)facility on our web site and enter

material culture

in the key words box as a partial search you will find a number of potentially useful references.


Good luck to you in your thesis work.

[K.Andrzejewski]

Great!
Thank you for helping with my research. I have just aquired Babel (the Amazon book). I'll be looking into that shortly. Thanks!

[charly]

I recommend that you look at Janny Venema's translation of the Deacons' Accounts 1652-1674 Beverwijck/Albany (Picton Press, 1998). For example, passim are references to the doodkleet or pall placed on a coffin during a funeral service.

[K.Andrzejewski]

I'll look into that. Thanks! As I refine my topic, I'll update.