|alt=On a white background, four black letters appear, aligned vertically and connected along one vertical line which shares at least one line within each letter. H is at top, its left vertical stroke starting the common vertical line; K is below, with its vertical stroke continuing the common vertical line; and the letters V and R sit at the bottom: the V is rotated slightly counter-clockwise so its right stroke continues the common vertical line while the vertical stroke of the R also shares this part of the common vertical line. Unfortunately for the West India Company, the infant colony of New Netherland languished. The Dutch Republic was economically thriving, causing the cautious
Dutch people to show very little inclination to emigrate to wild and uncultivated lands in which no substantial inducements were present. Within a few years, the Company realized that special measures which would afford a stimulus to colonization were indispensable. and inhabit the land with 50 adults within four years, with at least one quarter arriving within one year. In return, the patroons were able to own the land and pass it to succeeding generations as a perpetual
fiefdom, as well as receive protection and free
African slaves from the Company. It is believed that the system of patroonships was originally suggested by Van Rensselaer himself. He was reportedly one of the first of the Company to perceive that the building up of New Netherland could not be carried on without labor, and that labor could not be procured without permanent settlers. "Open up the country with agriculture: that must be our first step," was his urgent advice. The Company was not inclined to involve itself in further expense for colonization, and matters threatened to come to a halt, when someone — very likely Van Rensselaer himself — evolved the plan of granting large estates to men willing to pay the cost of settling and operating them. , c. 1632|alt=A short, wide parchment map shows the "Noord Rivier" (North River) traveling from right to left along the center of the parchment, in addition to the proposed locations of small settlements. Another river is also shown, at the very right, traveling from the top of the parchment to its connection at the Noord. The map is entitled "RENSELAERSWYCK" [sic] in large letters and the contains two shields and two scrolls containing Dutch text. Van Rensselaer was quick to take part in the new endeavor: on 13 January 1629, he sent notification to the Directors of the Company that he, in conjunction with fellow Company members
Samuel Godin and
Samuel Blommaert, had sent Gillis Houset and Jacob Jansz Cuyper to determine satisfactory locations for settlement. This took place even before the Charter was ratified, but was done in accordance with a draft of the Charter from 28 March 1628. The agents had sent out a favorable report. They had selected an extensive domain on both sides of the North River in the vicinity of
Fort Orange for Van Rensselaer, which extended in length, in breadth and covered an area of almost . The location relative to the fort was chosen with care — in case of danger, it would be a sure point of defense or retreat, and its garrison would be very likely to intimidate the natives. In this manner Van Rensselaer employed the troops of the Company more or less as
coadjutors to his colonizing plans. Furthermore, the fort would become an easily reached marketplace for the colonists, where they could maintain communication with the outside world. For that reason, Van Rensselaer diligently maintained friendly relations with the commander of the garrison and the authorities within the walls. His first act was to obtain possession of the land for his colony from the
Mohican, the original owners, who had never been willing to sell their territory — not even the ground of Fort Orange. However, after they had been involved in a bloody war with their neighbors, the
Mohawks, and were defeated in 1629, they were found ready to dispose of their possessions. In April, two officers of the West India Company in Fort Orange,
Sebastiaen Jansen Krol and Dirk Cornelisz Duyster, specially empowered by writing of 12 January 1630, purchased a large tract of land on the west side of the North River (today's Hudson). Gillis Houset, one of the men initially sent to determine a settlement location, increased this territory in August by adding tracts of land on the east bank, located above and below Fort Orange. After the initial expansion, the territory was later further extended by deeds of purchase in May 1631 and April 1637. The most troublesome aspect of settling the patroonships was enlisting the required number of colonists, resulting in the failure of many that were proposed. The patroons still dealt with the issues of a cautious people not caring to venture to an undeveloped world. As an owner of extensive lands in the sandy
Gooi and of family estates in the not much more fruitful
Veluwe, where several relatives were landowners and struggled to subsist on meager means, Van Rensselaer had an advantage — his agents needed to employ little persuasion to induce some Gooiers and Veluwers to migrate to more fruitful regions where the farming would be less difficult. In addition, he could depend on the indirect support of his nephew
Wouter van Twiller, who had been appointed
Director of New Netherland in 1632, and with whom he engaged in friendly correspondence at a time when Dutch directors opposed the patroons in every way. In 1634 he collaborated with
Michael Reyniersz Pauw, the patroon of
Pavonia on shipping cattle. With that, Van Rensselaer shipped out 37 immigrants on his ship
Rensselaerswijck from Amsterdam on 26 September 1636. The vessel arrived on 7 April 1637. The population rose to more than 100 by 1642 and doubled that in the next ten years. The village of
Beverwyck alone had more than 1000 inhabitants by 1660 and is said to have become urban by this point. The good understanding between the patroons of the Amsterdam Chamber left nothing to be desired; Burgh, Godyn, Blommaert, and Van Rensselaer, before signifying to the directors their willingness to start colonies, made an agreement to work the projected colonies on joint account, each under the direction of one of them. Three of them would have a one-fifth share in each colony, while the fourth would receive the remaining two fifths, taking the responsibility for its management and exercising patroon rights. Only Rensselaerswyck was a successful patroonship. Van Rensselaer successively purchased Godyn's share in the patroonship from his heirs, so that van Rensselaer soon became the owner of three-fifths. The two other shares remained partly in the hands of Blommaert and partly in the hands of others: Adam Bessels owning Blommaert's fifth, while Johannes de Laet and Toussaint Muyssaert split Burgh's fifth between them. ==Personal life==