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RIP Patrice Braut
Today is the 11th anniversary of 9/11. This blog's focus is the "Flemish Contribution to the Discovery and Settlement of America". The implicit message being of course that that contribution is...
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The Flemish Origins of America's Thanksgiving
The "Deliverance" of Leiden by the Flemish-led Sea Beggars, October 3, 1574. Thanksgiving is arguably the most American of holidays. Those of us with a secular bent look at it as not only a chance to...
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The Flemish Claim to Sinterklaas
The Flemish Claim to Sinterklaas in AmericaOn December 6th children in Flanders receive gifts. These gifts ostensibly come from Sinterklaas with the aid of his Moor assistant, "Swarte Piet". This...
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The Flemish Origins of Baltimore
Tonight was the 47th Superbowl (American football championship) game here in the U.S. The competing teams were the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. While I supported San Francisco, I...
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The Flemish Contribution to the U.S. Declaration of Independence
July is a month pregnant with historical significance for Flanders and the United States: July 4th (1776) is the U.S. Independence Day and July 11th (1302) is the Flemish Feast Day. Less directly on...
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The Flemish Inspiration for the American Revolution
John Quincy Adams about 1783Excerpts from a letter, dated July 27, 1777 from John Adams (1735-1826), 2nd President of the United States and one of the “Committee of 5” – with Franklin and Jefferson –...
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Beaver Peltries and Le Bâtard Flamand Part 1 - An Early Flemish American
A few months ago (September 8th) at Flanders House New York I gave a talk on “The Flemish Contribution to the Discovery and Settlement of America”. The talk offered historical flashes of Flemish...
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Flemish American Origins of Santa Claus
It is the night before Christmas Eve. I had hoped to have completed for you a post that points to the Flemish Contributions to the idea and dissemination of Sinterklaas - as "Santa Claus" would have...
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The Hidden Flemings in (New) Netherlands' History
A few years back, the Flemish diplomat Axel Buyse, stationed in the Netherlands, gave a superb talk to his hosts on the extensive Flemish origins of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ “Golden Century”[i]....
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Annetje Loockermans - Flemish Mother of America
Today, March 17th, is the birthday of Annetje Loockermans. In her day (the 1640s to the 1680s), in Nieuw Nederland, she was the supreme arbiter of fashion, taste, and polite society. It is thanks to...
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The Flemish Founding of the W.I.C. (Dutch West India Company) - Part 1
With this post I hope to re-ignite my discussions about the Flemish involvement with the American Pilgrims. For those unfamiliar with those postings #1,#2,#3,#4,#5,and #6, can be accessed by clicking...
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The Flemish Founding of the Dutch West India Company - Part 2
This post picks up from Part 1 http://flemishamerican.blogspot.com/2011/06/flemish-founding-of-wic-dutch-west.htmlIn my earlier post we reviewed the historical conditions that explained Antwerp’s...
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Symbols of Liberty
This post will be a brief one. Partly, because the subject matter is succinct. Partly also because I am putting the finishing touches on a blog post (which will appear under the date July 1st) on the...
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Steenvoorde, Iconoclasm, and the Start of the Dutch Revolt
Today, August 10th, 445 years ago, the Dutch Revolt started. It started in Steenvoorde, Flanders - territory now occupied by France but historically, ethnically, and linguistically Flemish. In fact,...
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The Establishment of Nieuw Nederland
This post will be a brief one. Last night I gave a presentation at De Orde van den Prince in New York City called "Vlamingen in Nieuw Nederland". It is a superb group that deserves sponsorship.My...
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Vlamingen in Nieuw Nederland
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently gave a talk called "Vlamingen in Nieuw Nederland" [Flemings in New Netherland]. It is too long (150 slides) to reprint here. But I do feel that select bits...
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The Flemish Claim To Discovering & Settling America: Timeline & Petition
This evening I gave a detailed talk at De Orde van den Prince - a slightly reworked version of the one I gave on October 10th. This talk was entitled "The Flemish Origins of Nieuw Nederland". Those of...
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Happy Thanksgiving!
There really is little for me to add about the Flemish contribution to Thanksgiving. What's more, I will actually be in Flanders for a few days immediately after Thanksgiving (on business, so...
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The Flemish Claim to Sinterklaas in America
Today, December 6th, children in Flanders receive gifts. These gifts ostensibly come from Sinterklaas with the aid of his Moor assistant, "Swarte Piet". This tradition had strong Catholic origins,...
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Prettige Kerstdagen! Merry Christmas!
The West Flemish priest (and poet and Father of the Flemish Movement) Guido Gezelle, nearly always had something so perfectly dead on to say. It may seem a stretch to incorporate him here, but since he...
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