Name: Jan de Vries
Nationality: Dutch (the Netherlands)
Reasons for leaving: wants to make fortune in the U.S.A.
Job in Holland: Merchant
birth date: 15 May 1820
death: 29 November 1883
This is the story of a man who believed in the American Dream
Dagboek 7 maart 1840:
I’m thinking about going to the United States of America, I heard from the sailors that there were a lot of opportunities but it’s quite a journey and it’s costly; 300gulden that’s quite a heap of money!
Anyways I’m not sure yet, but you never know…
Dagboek 23 maart 1840:
Great news!! I just came back from Rotterdam, where I made some good profits and I saw that there is a boat in the harbor taking people to New-York for only 200gulden! I was quite surprised when I saw that price! The boat is leaving on the 15th of August.
I am going to make my fortune in New Amsterdam!
Dagboek 1 augustus 1840:
Only 14days left until the big day.
I can’t wait to go although I feel a little homesick and I haven’t even left yet…
I just don’t know if I’m happy about moving or not.
Over the next few days I’m going to visit my family and say goodbye because I’ll probably won’t see them for a long time.
Dagboek 10 augustus 1840:
I have packed all my stuff and I’m leaving my home, my birth place.
The road to Rotterdam is long and it should take my about 4 days by horse.
Dagboek 15 augustus 1840:
I’m now aboard the boat and on my way to the U.S.A.!
My first resentments aren’t that good, it’s very crowded on the boat and we still have to stop to pick up more people in Waterford, hopefully it will get better, although I very much doubt it…
Dagboek 17 augustus 1840:
The hygiene on board is very bad; I heard stories from one of the sailors that once that someone becomes sick everyone is struck by the disease.
I hope that ship will pass us, because I don’t like to think about what would happen with them.
Dagboek 18 augustus 1840:
In about 30minutes we should be in Waterford, the last stop before New-York.
We just stopped and we should still be stuck here until this evening.
We have left now once again, earlier today I’ve met this young Irish man who has left his country because of a famine until now I had only heard about it but when you actually see for real what is happening It makes you feel… little… guilty…
He was a really nice guy and I hope he will have a better life in New-York, as all of us I guess.
Dagboek 27 augustus 1840:
Finally! We arrived! I was stunned by the view of hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands of houses.
I had been to many cities but this was just unbelievable.
Hundreds of people if not thousands were running across the streets.
At first I couldn’t believe that this was true even though it didn’t look like my dreams it was still very impressive!
I’ve lend a small house on the east side of New York near the harbors. And my first shipping’s of toys should be here tomorrow so I can open my shop.
Dagboek 28 augustus 1840:
I’ve been so busy today that I barely have the time to write this.
I had some problems with the delivery because of all the new builds and so there are almost no maps showing the current state of New York.
But the shipment of toys arrived anyway and it’s all stocked away in the warehouse behind the shop.
Dagboek 29 augustus 1840:
Today was the big opening of my shop!
Not a lot of people showed up but I guess it’s normal, I mean I don’t think I would visit the opening of a shop owned by someone who has only arrived 2 days ago…
Anyway I thank all those who did come and hopefully more people will come tomorrow.
Dagboek 1 september 1840:
A new month and new opportunities!
I hope that this month will make my winnings rise.
From my experience until now, I find it quite hard to integrate the society of New York.
People seem to live in boroughs, separated by skin colors or languages.
Dagboek 17 januari 1841:
It has now been over four and a half months since I arrived in the city of the American Dream.
My little shop has become quite famous and me and some investors have had an idea to construct a new shop selling toys because I think that will be the way to go.
Dagboek 05 maart 1862:
Today I have officially opened my new store on the fifth avenue!
I share the company with a German, whose name is Frederick Schwarz, and we called the shop FAO Schwarz.
I’m feeling really good about this new investment and if it works out I should be set for the rest of my life.
As I don’t have the time anymore to keep my other shop, I made my Irish friend which I met on the boat, the managing director of the shop.
I made my American Dream come true, the toy store became a success and I could say that I lived happily ever after.
The emigration flow to the U.S.A. during the 19th century
by Dutchmen :
– several 10 thousands of Dutch people emigrated.
– most of them from regions like : Overijssel, Zeeland
and Gelderland.
– popular reasons for leaving:
– bad economic situation; bad harvests multiple times in a row
– religion; a lot of members of the reformed Church left because
the government made their livres harder because of their religion
made by S.L. and S.L.