So, in the "Apply for Flair" thread u/maxpowerer mentions he's an expert in these colonies. I've always been very interested in them, but don't actually know a thing about them.
One thing I always wondered about: the Dutch Republic in the 17th century was not a very populous nation, but economically very prosperous with comparatively high standards of living. (At least in the Western provinces.) Indeed, there always was a healthy influx of seasonal labour from German lands and the like, as well as immigration to the Republic by groups like the Hugenots, Sephardic Jews and famously, if temporarily, the Pilgrims.
Considering all that, my question is: Who was immigrating to the Dutch North American colonies, and what do we know about why they went?
Do we know anything about what kinds of people and from what kinds of backgrounds went there? Was it people from the poorer, more rural parts of the country? Did the colony attract people from other European nations? Did the colony ever struggle to get enough immigration to keep up their strength? Did the various Dutch States stimulate emigration? How did the immigration patterns to the colony evolve over time?
How does immigration and demographics of this colony compare to those of the English, French, Swedish and others in the region? Any notable differences?
Finally, though this perhaps might deserve a question of its own: What happened when the English took over? Did many people leave? Were immigrants from the Dutch republic still welcome afterwards, for example if they wanted to join family members already there?
Reading recommendations are also welcome, of course. Much obliged to anyone who can answer at least some of these many questions.
In comparison to its English neighbors in Virginia and New England, the Dutch colony of New Netherland seemed to be a rather underpopulated stretch of the East Coast of North America. There certainly were far fewer Dutch settlers, and it was a recurrent issue in the development of the Dutch colony.
The English colonies did not suffer from a lack of settlers, largely owing to the religious tensions and civil wars which plagued England in the mid-17th century that generated a great number of refugees. In contrast, the Dutch Republic was, as you say, a prosperous and comfortable society. The war of independence against the Spanish had ended, the economy was booming, and there was little impetus for the residents of the Republic to flee. On the contrary, many immigrants from Germany and Scandinavia were pouring into the Dutch Republic to seek their fortunes there.
So why did people leave at all? There was much fortune to be sought throughout the global colonial empire of the Dutch. Indonesia, South Africa, Suriname, and Brazil attracted many Dutch adventurers who thought they could profit off of the colonial expansion into these regions (and rightly so). In comparison to these exotic and promising destinations, New Netherland seemed somewhat undesirable. Rather than gold and spices, it was known for beaver pelts. Rather than providing tropical respite from the cold and cloudy Netherlands, it offered harsh winters and stormy summers. Dutch people were moving from Netherlands to other colonies, but few desired to end up in New Netherland.
The West India Company (WIC) controlled the colony for much of its existence. The WIC was a corporation authorized to establish colonies all over the Atlantic, including western Africa and the Americas, and manage trade and warfare in its realm. Many of the initial settlers of New Netherland were employees of the WIC who ended up there despite their wishes, and ended up working in the bare-bones forts that made up the colony.
After losing control of the Connecticut River to a mass of English colonists, the WIC realized that they needed to have a populace in New Netherland if they wished to retain control of it, and decided to institute a policy of mass colonization. Some disadvantaged groups like the Huguenots (who were persecuted in Europe) or some Flemish settlers (who were still impoverished by the aftermath of the 80 years war) were quick to settle, but the well of volunteers soon ran dry. The Dutch people who wanted to settle tended to head elsewhere.
In an attempt to resolve this, the WIC instituted the Patroon system. This promised a huge grant of land and administrative rights to anyone who came to New Netherland and brought 50 families with them. It was essentially the re-institution of the feudal system, promising the Patroons that they would own the lands and rule the people who lived there. Numerous attempts were made to realize this, and many families were imported (largely from poor farming communities around Utrecht, Brabant, and Gelderland). These settlements almost all failed (often due to war with the natives), with one notable exception. But while the patroons themselves often returned to the Netherlands or went on to other colonial projects, the families they had imported often remained in the colony and helped to populate it.
Dutch Brazil had been a promising colony, but in 1654 was lost to the Portuguese. The fleeing Dutch population (many of whom were Jewish) flooded into New Netherland. Around the same time Governor Stuyvesant conquered New Sweden and a large number of Lutheran Swedes and Finns became subjects of New Netherland. Some of the immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany continued on from Holland to seek their fortune in the colony. Orphans from the Netherlands were also sent there. In the 1650's New Netherland was no longer just a WIC outpost, but had a significant population, and was granted city rights.
Even so, it was clear that the colony was underpopulated in comparison to its English neighbors. In 1653 a resident of New Netherland who feared English invasion named Adriaan van der Donck wrote A Description of New Netherland, which attempted to attract settlers from the general Dutch public by praising the place. (great read, btw)
It was easily the most diverse American colony. Already in the 1640's Governor Kieft bragged that 18 languages were spoken in his colony, and by 1664 there were likely quite a few more. The diversity of the colony was problematic for Stuyvesant, who sought to control it with attempts such as forbidding minority religions (which ultimately failed). Despite the communities which made it diverse, the population was primarily ethnically Dutch.
The slaves of New Netherland also made up a part of its population (10-20%). Not usually imported from Africa, they were most often captured as plunder from Spanish and Portuguese ships in the Caribbean, and represented the complex diaspora that was emerging in the New World. Slavery in New Netherland is a complex and fascinating topic worthy of its own discussion.
As for when the English took over: that's also a different question. I have been researching it for years and I'll gladly answer it, but it's too much for this post.
Sources:
Adriaan van der Donck, A Description of New Netherland (1653) There is a recent edition of this and it is highly recommended reading. PM for more info.
Jaap Jacobs, The Colony of New Netherland (2009) Great overview of the colony, and contains a chapter solely devoted to discussing demographics.
J.F. Jameson, Narrative of New Netherland (1909)
J.H. Innes, New Amsterdam and its People (1902)