Peter Minuit, Date of Birth, Date of Death

Peter Minuit

third director-general of New Netherland, founder of the Swedish colony of New Sweden in 1638

Date of Birth: 01-Jan-0001

Date of Death: 05-Aug-1638

Profession: military personnel, politician

Nationality: Belgium

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Peter Minuit, Pieter Minuit, Pierre Minuit, or Peter Minnewit (between 1580 and 1585 – August 5, 1638) was a Walloon from Tournai, in present-day Belgium.
His surname means "midnight" in French.
He was the 3rd Director of the Dutch North American colony of New Netherland from 1626 until 1631, and 3rd Governor of New Netherland.
He founded the Swedish colony of New Sweden on the Delaware Peninsula in 1638. Minuit is generally credited with orchestrating the purchase of Manhattan Island for the Dutch from the Lenape Native Americans.
Manhattan later became the site of the Dutch city of New Amsterdam, and the borough of Manhattan of modern-day New York City.
A common account states that Minuit purchased Manhattan for $24 worth of trinkets.
A letter written by Dutch merchant Peter Schaghen to directors of the Dutch East India Company stated that Manhattan was purchased for 7246 beaver pelts, 178½ otter pelts, 675 otter pelts, 48 mink pelts, 36 lynx pelts, 33 minks, 34 muskrat pelts, many oak timbers, and nut-wood equaling "60 guilders worth of trade", an amount worth approximately $1,050 in 2015 dollars.