The Netherlands was different than other European nations in the 17th Century. Most nations were fighting religious wars while the Dutch allowed for religious freedom, the reason the Pilgrims went there originally. They practiced a form a democracy where each town was basically independent and would come together when needed under the House of Orange. The Dutch East Indian Company was the wealthiest company in the world, mostly concerned with Asia, but in 1624 they claimed the area now known as New York as New Amsterdam and looked to make a profit in the fur trade.
Historically Speaking 